Alcester Foot Clinic

12/11/2018

12 11 2018 - 12 11 1918

The fighting may have stopped with the signing Armistice.

The huge task of clearing the war zone of was the next task. A grisly task this must have been.

My thoughts go to those who located and retrieved the dead. Also make the land safe from unexploded ordnance.

Some areas of the WW1 conflict are still too dangerous to enter or return back to agriculture.

The photograph is of a marker. It was used to map out segments of land being cleared of the fallen for identification, if possible, removal the defence systems and much of the ordnance.

12/11/2018

11 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

09/11/2018

09 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

The display of footcare products used by soldiers in the trenches touches upon the importance of footcare in the very hostile and challenging environment.

The only WW1 publication detailing foot care of any great detail, I could find, was The Prevention of Chilled Feet and Frostbite.

Care of the Feet - Notes for Foot Orderlies 1942 was issued by Royal Army Medical Corps and part of specific training of Foot Orderlies.The authorities in fear of a repetition of the foot problems seen in WW1 put in place a strategy from the lessons learned.

The basics in this book were to become the founding principles and standardised teachings of Chiropody and Podiatry in colleges post WW2 to present day.

08/11/2018

08 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

Gassed: the terror of being gassed has become an image representing the atrocities faced of those who fought.

Statistically the numbers of those that died of a gas attack was small in comparison to the total numbers that died.

It was those that survived that made such an indelible image into the psych of the citizens back home.

Survivors were often cared for in the UK. Their family friends and the public witnessed their suffering. It took month years or never fully recovered. Many dying prematurely of the complications

War artist John Singer Sargent painting ''Gassed'' 1919 is one iconic image of how we remember World War One.

Otto Dix's print Otto Stormtroopers Advance under Cover of Gas 1924, which I have placed behind the Cenotaph is an image which also deserves similar acclaim. Sargent's showing the effects of gas, Otto's' depicting the horror of being gassed.

Thankfully we had war artist who created pieces or art then which help us in this present day remember.

07/11/2018

07 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

The Thomas Splint helped save many lives. Some of those whose leg injuries were to serious or had intractable infection required amputation.

On display is prosthetic limb from the WW1 era and typical of those fabricated and fitted at Queen Mary's Hospital for limbless soldiers who specialised in the care of amputees, Set up in 1915 it soon became a world-renowned limb fitting and amputee rehabilitation centre.

Trying to lead a normal life must have been very challenging.

The story of Wilfred Whitfield exemplifies these difficulties.

Wilfred Whitfield became an amputee after sustaining an injury in the Somme.Wilf ’s war didn’t end with the Armistice. There was no hero’s welcome and Wilf was refused jobs for three years. Along with other amputee Service men, he found his benefits cut and doors shut as the nation struggled through the Depression of the 1920s.

Wilf campaigning to improve employment opportunities, medical techniques, social support and public awareness of the struggles of wounded veterans.

His campaigning was a catalyst and helped the formation of Blesma. A military charity for limbless veterans and is still active today..

06/11/2018

06 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

Today I reflect on soldiers who sustained a broken a broken leg. In the first half of the First World War they had a 20% chance of survival.

The jolting and jarring whilst being carried by the stretcher bearers, caused irreversible damage often resulting in hemorrhaging.

The Thomas Splint was developed in response to this excessively high mortality rate. It also reduced the rate of amputations required.

Stretcher Bearers often worked in no mans land at night whilst under enemy fire. To prepare for this task they were trained to apply the splint blind-fold by numbers.

The Thomas Splint, with its origins in WW1, is still an essential piece of emergency care.

Lets not forget positive aspects of medical care developed in WW1 that still impact on our lives today.

05/11/2018

05 11 1918 - 11 11 1918

The First World War was, in the scale of injury, a completely new phenomenon. ''Wounds in war and their treatment and results'', written by Lieutenant Colonel D'Arcy Power in 1915 is an immediate response to educate surgeons to this change. It is written in a matter of fact and forthright manner which leaves nothing to the imagination. A copy is on display in my practice window.

Due to the long time between sustaining the injury and arrival in a field hospital wounds were often infected. The very basic field dressing and the application of iodine is all the soldier had to self treat a wound.

''Its a blighty wound alright. The trouble is mate, it's infected''

My thoughts go to those who died or suffered life changing surgery to address these infections which today could have been treated so easily with antibiotics.

04/11/2018

04 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

After injured soldiers carried by the stretcher bearers arrived at the field hospitals their care had just began.

Roses of No Mans Land written by Lyn Macdonald is a seminal piece of writing about nursing care and compassion in the WW1.

Today, I spare a thought for nurses whilst encountering the most horrific injuries continued to give a human face to their treatment.

02/11/2018

03 11 2018 - 03 11 1918

Take time out of your day to think about how those who were injured in the trenches and no mans land.

The stretcher bearer carried a very heavy load. They must have had to make a judgement about those who they deemed suitable.

The war poet Isaac Rosenberg, who died on the front, wrote in the poem 'Dead Mans Dump', highlights in just 4 sentences, how a stretcher bearer makes a decision between the humanity of saving a life and the cold stark reality of those beyond saving. It is worth a read.

Try and envisage how a stretcher bearer maintained the humanity and belief in saving a life when faced with such inhumanity.

01/11/2018

02 11 2018 - 11 11 1918

Today I ask you to take time out of your day to think about how those on the front line cared for themselves in the trenches. The trench was their home.

Vigilance to self care was as important as fighting the enemy.

The opposing army was one enemy. There were many enemies in the First World War.

Keeping ones self in good physical condition was one way of keeping the enemies at bay.

As a Chiropodist Podiatrist I know the importance of footcare. Those on the front line also knew how important maintaining their feet, if they were to survive.

Today I remember in the face of adversity those that that cared for themselves for self preservation.

31/10/2018

11 days to the 11th of the 11th and 100 years to the Armistice.

David Kirby at Alcester Chiropody Podiatry invites you to view the window display to share and reflect on the war.

Remembering and memorialising those that died and lest we forget those that survived and medical profession that were integral to their recovery.

It was those that survived that helped rebuild the country after the war was over. This would not have been possible without hope care and positivity, Something I have great respect for when one considers the inhumanity that they must have seen and been through.

On personal professional level I found much inspiration in researching medicine and footcare in WW. Acquiring relevant artefacts to show the importance of the medical care in the treatment of the foot and highlight an often neglected and dare I say it forgotten aspect of the war.

I would lastly like to thank Sean Macreavy for his very perceptive and skilful photography to capture the essence of the display..

If you would like more post each day leading up to Armistice please like Alcester Chiropody Podiatry page

25/09/2018

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/sep/21/lets-bring-back-the-dignity-of-walking-being-on-foot-in-your-city

This article has some great points about the benefits of walking in any village town or city. Also how having a pedestrian friendly environment makes the places we live and frequent more enjoyable places to be in. Something to consider with the stress of modern living and our struggling high streets.

14/02/2018

Valentines ! who can forget their loved one but is easy to forget your feet. Alcester Chiropody Podiatry & Massage can help you love your feet again.

29/11/2017

28/11/2017

A very Informative publication by a reliable source. The Independent Diabetes Trust. If you have diabetes or know someone with diabetes I strongly recommend you download this free brochure. It is a great resource and guide to self care of the feet.

https://www.iddt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Looking-after-your-feet.pdf?x82306

19/11/2017

Today I removed the window display / homage to armistice day. I could not help but reflect on the moment and thank all those that took the time and effort to look at it or share their personal or family experiences of war and the impact it had upon them. I did not anticipate or expect this very personal sharing. Some that have made a lasting impression on me:

A mother came with her 12 year old daughter for treatment. After looking at the window display her daughter looked at my collection of first world war song cards. When she read the cards that read “”Mother where has father gone’’ the look and shock and understanding expressed her facial expression was palpable.

A very elderly gentleman whilst perusing the cards knew some of the songs and burst into the verses of the song ‘’The trumpeter’’.

One lady sharing how a relative after receiving the death plaque letter similar to that I put on display then received a letter from the very soldier who was reported as being dead in action.

Siegfreid Sasoon once wrote
‘’In fifty years when peace outshines
Remembrance of the battle lines,’’

This year I was 50 on the 11th November. I always felt a resonance with armistice day but this year had a special significance to me not only highlighted by Sasoons’ verse but also it being 100 years. Fortunately I have a fantastic practice window in which I could pay my personal homage to all it represents. I do hope you have taken pleasure, if that is right word, from it as much as I have. Lastly I would like thank Sean MacGreavey for capturing the moment.