Journal of Military and Veteran’s Health - JMVH

"Military Effectiveness of Five Dietary Supplements Purported to Aid Cognitive and Physical Performance" by Bradley Baker evaluates the military effectiveness and safety of five common dietary supplements: Rhodiola rosea, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, beetroot juice, arginine, and beta-alanine. While these substances are often marketed as performance enhancers, researchers found that fish oils a...

"Pacific Island Societies Destabilised by Infectious Diseases" by G Dennis Shanks explores how infectious diseases like measles and influenza caused mass depopulation in Pacific Island societies starting in the 18th century. A critical focus is placed on the disproportionate mortality of hereditary leaders, who faced higher risks due to diplomatic travel and crowded social customs. The sudden loss...

"Glimpses of future battlefield medicine – the proliferation of robotic surgeons and unmanned vehicles and technologies" by Gary Martinic explores the growing integration of robotic surgical systems and unmanned ground vehicles within the field of military medicine. By utilizing advanced technologies like the BEAR extraction robot and the da Vinci surgical platform, the military aims to provide li...

"War-Related Dysentery Epidemics in the Australian Army" by G Dennis Shanks examines the persistent threat of dysentery throughout the history of the Australian Army, from the early 20th century to modern humanitarian crises. The author details how unhygienic conditions and poor sanitation fueled devastating epidemics during major conflicts, including the Gallipoli and Palestine campaigns. It high...

"Does Current Policy Support Reproductive Health of Australian Defence Force Veterans? A Review of Australian Defence Force Policy" by Rachelle Warner assesses how Australian Defence Force (ADF) policies address the sexual and reproductive health of its members and veterans, with a specific focus on the growing cohort of women. The authors highlight that while the military has updated guidelines f...

"Intrinsic and External Factors and Influences on the Motivation of Suicide Attackers" by Gregor Bruce examines the complex psychological and social motivations that drive individuals to carry out suicide attacks. It distinguishes between different types of suicide terrorism, noting that while groups like the Tamil Tigers pioneered many modern tactics, motivations vary across religious, nationalis...

"Psychological Screening in the Australian Defence Force: An Historical and Contemporary Analysis of what Works" by Kylie Tuppin analyzes the historical evolution and modern application of psychological screening within the Australian Defence Force. The authors distinguish between rapid screening, used to identify current disorders or cognitive traits like intelligence, and comprehensive assessmen...

"Poppy Seed and Prohibited Drug Testing" by Ross Mills examines how culinary poppy seed consumption can lead to unintended positive drug tests for morphine among military personnel. Through three Australian Navy case studies, the author demonstrates that eating common foods like seeded bread can trigger urinary morphine levels exceeding established testing thresholds. The text highlights that whil...

"The neurophysiologic aspects of G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC)" by David G Newman examines G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC), a critical physiological failure occurring when high acceleration forces prevent the cardiovascular system from delivering oxygenated blood to the brain. The author details the historical research and mathematical theories that define human tolerance limits,...

"Innovations from the Battlefield: Tourniquets" by Dominic Maher explores the historical evolution and modern resurgence of the tourniquet as a critical tool for survival. While these devices were often criticized as dangerous during the 19th and 20th centuries, data from recent Middle East conflicts proved they effectively stop catastrophic bleeding without causing widespread limb loss. The text...

"Antimalarial Drug Supply Issues during the Second World War" by G. Dennis Shanks examines how antimalarial drug shortages severely compromised Allied military operations in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. The author explains that the Japanese seizure of cinchona plantations and European manufacturing hubs stripped the Allies of vital quinine and synthetic drug supplies, leading to mass...

"Effects of deployment on mental health in modern military forces: A review of longitudinal studies" by Peter Nasveld examines prospective longitudinal studies to determine how military deployment influences the mental health of service members and veterans. The findings highlight that actual combat exposure, rather than the simple act of being deployed, is the primary driver for conditions like P...

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Killing in Combat: A Review of Existing Literature" by Vicky Aldridge examines the complex psychological link between the act of killing in combat and the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By analyzing various studies, the text reveals that service members who have taken a life generally report more severe trauma symptoms and higher levels of...

This historical overview chronicles the scientific breakthrough in identifying the pathogen and transmission method of the bubonic plague during the late 19th-century pandemic. While humanity previously attributed the disease to supernatural forces or toxic vapors, the emergence of germ theory allowed researchers like Alexandre Yersin to successfully isolate the bacterium now known as Yersinia pes...

"Agent Orange Reviewed: Potential Role in Peripheral Neuropathy and Neurodegeneration" by Suzanne de la Monte, published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health (JMVH). This articles examines the long-term medical consequences of Agent Orange exposure among Vietnam War veterans, with a specific focus on neurological deterioration. The research highlights a significant connection between th...

"Effects of Penthrox® (methoxyflurane) as an analgesic on cardiovascular and respiratory functions in the pre-hospital setting" by H F Oxer, published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health (JMVH). This research article investigates the safety and physiological effects of methoxyflurane, an inhaled analgesic commonly used by emergency medical services in Australia. By analyzing data from...

"From Milites Medici to Army Medics – A two thousand year tradition of military medicine" by Robb Wesselingh, published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health (JMVH). The article explores the historical development of military medicine, asserting that many significant medical advances originated during times of conflict, citing examples from the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. It then f...

"The Australian Army’s Two ‘Traditional’ Diseases: Gonorrhea and Syphilis — A Military-Medical History During the Twentieth Century" by Ian Howie-Willis details the military-medical history of gonorrhea and syphilis within the Australian Army throughout the twentieth century. The author, Ian Howie-Willis, focuses on demonstrating the statistical scale of these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—...

"Comparing PTSD Among Returning War Veterans," by Wayne Kinney focuses on the physical and psychological wounds sustained by military personnel in the Iraqi and Afghan Wars, particularly comparing their experiences and diagnoses, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with veterans from earlier conflicts like the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. It highlights that advances in medicine...

"Musculoskeletal Injury and Physical Fitness Across US Army Occupational Specialties" by Tyson Grier, Regis Pearson, Timothy Benedict , Olivia Mahlmann and Michelle Canham-Chervak  examines the connection between musculoskeletal injury and physical fitness across various US Army military occupational specialties (MOS). The research details the methodology, which involved surveying soldiers and obt...

"A Review of Art Therapy Among Military Service Members and Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" by Jeremy Ramirez reviews the use of art therapy for military service members and veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The author argues for implementing art therapy programs, particularly because the current preferred treatment—Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—is o...

"CHEMICAL AGENTS Contact Poisons: A Brief Touch," by Dr Andrew Robertson examines the risks and characteristics of contact poisons, which are substances absorbed through the skin to cause toxic effects or death. While acknowledging that these agents are often sensationalized in popular media and crime fiction, the author stresses that many military, industrial, and agricultural chemicals pose a ge...

"Fast women: Or why women who fly high performance aircraft are fast but not loose," by Tracy Smat examines the challenges and issues surrounding women entering the historically male-dominated field of fast jet aviation, particularly within the Royal Australian Air Force. The text provides a historical overview of women in aviation, including their roles in World War II and the gradual integration...

"Antibacterial Warfare: The Production of Natural Penicillin and the Search for Synthetic Penicillin During the Second World War - JMVH",  by Bruce Short examines the history of penicillin development during World War II, focusing on the rapid transition from laboratory study to mass production of natural penicillin through international military and scientific collaboration, involving forces from...

"A History of Australian Navy Health Officer Uniforms and Ranks (Part One)" by Dr Neil Westphalen details the evolution of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officer uniforms and ranks, drawing parallels and distinctions with the British Royal Navy (RN) and their historical antecedents. It explores the historical context of naval organization, including the shift from 'tarpaulin' to 'gentlemen' officers...