Slide #4 Tropical ulcer. The most dreaded of all sores. The slightest scratch could start this awful rotting disease. Bamboo wounds usually turned into a spreading ulcer. There were of course no medicines of any kind available for the POWs, the only way to keep wounds reasonably clean was to scrape them with a sharpened spoon. This was usually done by holding the victim down by his arms and feet, whilst medical personnel carried out the gruesome task of scraping the wound. Many leg amputations were carried out as a result of tropical ulcers.