March 18

The effect of noise on the battlefield was discussed in “Hospital” magazine in an article in which the writer argued that there was a feeling of inability to carry on the accustomed work or adequately to fulfil the usual duties, and as a result of this there might be suggestions on the part of the patient of suicide or even actual attempts at self-destruction.

In other cases there was marked confusion; inability to converse coherently; automatism – as in a case reported from the seat of battle of a soldier who sat ceaselessly beating the bottom of a bucket for hours, apparently oblivious of everything that was taking place around him; and vague fears and obsessions.

In others, again, the nervous symptoms might show themselves in intense excitement, restlessness, and a general condition of acute mania, with hallucinations of sight and hearing. “The hardest task of the soldier,” said one correspondent, “is to get used to the appalling noise of the artillery.”

50 years ago

How did the Russians do it? Protective power of astronauts’ clothing was the real achievement in the latest Russian space shot, wrote our Science Correspondent.

The important thing about the Russian achievement in putting a man in space outside his spaceship was not that the exit or re-entry was made, but that the Russians obviously considered the “special spacesuit” he wore was proof against at least a short exposure to intense radiation.

Leaving and re-entering a spaceship was not a formidable scientific ask at this stage of development. The Americans could have done it at any time in the last 18 months. Where the Russians were again ahead of the United States was in developing space clothing in which they considered it safe to let a man leave the protection of his spaceship.

25 years ago

Jelly sales were on the wobble and milk sales were off the boil, but brown bread was booming and the rice was on the rise. Those were some of the food trends taking us into the 1990s.

A study of British eating habits by Gateway Food markets showed that food accounted for a quarter of our annual United Kingdom consumer spending. We ate food worth £71 billion in 1988 alone. British shoppers were turning to healthier eating. The fruit and vegetable market had almost doubled, with the sale of fresh produce rising from £1.8 billion to £3.45 billion by 1987.

A move towards convenience food had hit traditional British favourites. The sales of jelly cubes fell from 26 tonnes to 18 tonnes, pushed down by the growth of ready made pot desserts. Sales of powdered custard had also plummeted. The average consumption of milk had dropped from 4.16 pints per person a week to just 2.52 pints.