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Trench foot was an informal name applied to the condition from its prevalence during the trench warfare of World War I. [1] Health officials at the time used a variety of other terms as they studied the condition, but trench foot was eventually formally sanctioned and used. [2] Informally, it was also known as jungle rot during the Vietnam War. [5]
Immersion foot syndromes are a class of foot injury caused by water absorption in the outer layer of skin. [1] [2] There are different subclass names for this condition based on the temperature of the water to which the foot is exposed. These include trench foot, tropical immersion foot, and warm water immersion foot.
Trench foot was a large problem for the Allied forces, resulting in 75,000 British and 2,000 American casualties. [62] Mandatory routine (daily or more often) foot inspections by fellow soldiers, along with systematic use of soap, foot powder, and changing socks, greatly reduced cases of trench foot. [63]
Non-freezing cold injuries (NFCI) is a class of tissue damage caused by sustained exposure to low temperature without actual freezing. [1] There are several forms of NFCI, and the common names may refer to the circumstances in which they commonly occur or were first described, such as trench foot, which was named after its association with trench warfare.
When recounting his arrival in Vietnam in 1965, then-Corporal Joe Houle (director of the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas in 2002) said he saw no emotion in the eyes of his new squad: "The look in their eyes was like the life was sucked out of them". He later learned that the term for their condition was "the 1,000-yard stare".
While the search of the Phước Hà Valley took place, the 2/7 Marines patrolled the Khang River encountering few VC but losing numerous Marines who had to be evacuated for Trench foot. On 18 December as 2/7 Marines advanced through the village of Ky Phu, 6.5 km west of Route 1 they were ambushed by the VC 8th Battalion.
Common wound types include gunshots to the extremities. A person may achieve a similar effect by deliberately neglecting their health, e.g., by letting a minor wound become infected, or foregoing foot care in damp environments to trigger the development of diseases like trench foot and tropical ulcers, which are debilitating but not usually fatal or permanent if treated properly.
Punji sticks used during the Vietnam War, photo from 1966. Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials.