... This was when the feet turn red or blue, go numb, severe chilblains and get gangrene. It's caused by exposing the feet to cold water for too long. Amputation of the toes or foot was sometimes necessary. The cause of this disease was stopped by daily foot inspections, dry socks, and rubbing whale oil into their feet to act as waterproofing. Another common problem was lice. As the men had to live so close together, they had limited washing facilities, and they wore the same clothes for days on end, it wasn't surprising that lice spread quickly. To help stop the epidemic, bath houses were set up behind the front line, this was where the soldiers coming out of the trenches could have a hot bath and a change of clothes. The lice caused itching and discomfort, but they also caused a more serious problem, 'trench fever'. Trench Fever was much like ...

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