I bought this book to prepare for giving tours of a new civil war medical exhibit at a local museum. A few words about why there were so many amputations may be appropriate here. When the war began, the united states army medical staff consisted of only the surgeon general, thirty surgeons, and eightythree assistant. National museum of civil war medicine this illustration shows the making of prosthetics in the late 1800s. Civil war surgeons at petersburg library of congress during the 1860s, doctors had yet to develop bacteriology and were generally ignorant of the causes of disease. While he may not have been a general, jonathan letterman changed the course of the civil war and of american medicine. Schultz a m e r i ca n w o m e n were enthusiastic in their support of medical efforts during the civil war.
Caring for the men, the history of civil war medicine. Library of congress during the 1860s, doctors had yet to develop bacteriology and were generally ignorant of the causes of disease. The baltimore riot of 1861 also called the pratt street riots and the pratt street massacre was a civil conflict on friday, april 19, 1861, on pratt street, in baltimore, maryland, between antiwar copperhead. Anesthesia in the civil war national museum of civil war.
A civil war buff, he spent months combing the national archives in washington, the armed forces medical school and libraries in virginia and north carolina for information on confederate medicine. Notes on the surgery of the war in the crimea, the treatment of gunshot wounds, 1862, by george macleod, m. Shauna devine spoke today at the national library of medicine on the civil war, the army medical museum, and the surgeon generals library. For students preparing to enter the field, medical training focused largely on book knowledge. There was a lot in the book i had not heard before.
Civil war medicine illustrated living history series. Bollet has studied the medical history of the war extensively. Medical training was just emerging out of the heroic era, a time where physicians advocated bloodletting, purging, blistering or a combination of all three to rebalance the humors of the body and remedy the sick. I bought this book at the pea ridge civil war battlefield near bentonville, arkansas, with the intent of using it as story material. Civil war medicine articles american battlefield trust. A collection of civil war era surgical manuals and medical books for the u. He is the author of volumes i, ii and iii of the pictorial encyclopedia of civil war medical instruments and equipment. The american civil war is one of the most researched conflicts in modern history, yet many people still desire more knowledge about it. Hundreds of illustrations, combined with wellresearched and engaging text, tell the tale of the challenges presented to physicians with each new battle and the oftenheroic ways those challenges were met. Barton was working for the patent office when the civil war broke out on april 12, 1861. Challenges and triumphs is wellorganized, approachable to the noncivil war history buff or those lacking in a medical background, addresses both confederate as well as union history a standard failing in many civil war works, and dispells many myths about the standards of civil war medical practices. Curiously, he first came to the topic with the same conventional wisdom that his book dispels. Info on medicine in the csa bibliography statistics more civil war medical terms. His innovation and retooling of the union armys medical corps during the chaotic.
United states history civil war, 18611865 the american war. Generally, civil war doctors underwent two years of medical school, though some pursued more education. A photographic history is an extensive collection of neverbeforepublished photographs taken during the civil war. Civil war doctors usually underwent two years of medical school, though some pursued more education. Ehistory civil war medical terms familytree magazine name that ailment.
Civil war medical books and civil war surgical sets. This site contains a major collection of civil war medical and surgical textbooks a specified in the surgeon generals library catalogue of 186465. Essay about medicine disease and death in the civil war. During the 1860s, many doctors were ignorant of the causes of disease. Civil war medicine american medicine was still in a dark age. Keith wilbur takes you on a detailed and fascinating tour through the medical history of this bloody and devastating war. Sources and book recommendations medicine during the. Caring for the men the history of civil war medicine. See more ideas about history, war and american civil war. Jonathan letterman, the civil war doctor who pioneered battlefield medicene. Medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion. It provides a visual encyclopedia of medical facilities.
Civil war medical books is a site dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of medical and surgical manuals used in the civil war, especially those marked u. The north and south disagreed on the issue of slavery. The most common civil war surgery was the amputation. Civil war that are secondary sources can be found in the library catalog by searching the subject united stateshistorycivil war, 18611865. Its focus involves the medical, surgical and nursing practices during the american civil war. The civil war is an important part of the american history, during which the north and the south had separated and became two different nations.
Chimborazo hospital richmond national battlefield park. A copy of this text book is listed in the 1865 surgeon generals office library catalogue. Medicine would advance significantly over the next several years. Nurses, surgeons, and physicians rose to the challenge of healing a nation and advanced medicine into the modern age. Almost 150 patents were issued for artificial limb designs between 1861 and 1873. Books civil war medicine research guides at virginia. Mackay, 1863, by thomas halliwell pdf in australia. While medicine had not advanced much since the middle ages, weapons had become very proficient at killing and causing horrible wounds. Prior to the civil war, american medicine was still in a dark age. See more ideas about civil war, war, american civil war. Civil war from april 1861 to april 1865, a brutal civil war was fought between the confederate states of america and the united states of america. The rise of a sovereign profession and the making of a vast industry by paul starr. For medical practitioners in the field during the civil war, germ theory, antiseptic clean medical practices, advanced equipment, and organized hospitalization systems were virtually unknown.
He is a member of many historical societies and civil war associations, and has written and lectured extensively on the subject. Civil war union surgical manuals and medical books. Several million men took up arms and went to war in the 1860s. An illustrated history presents an informative and in depth account of the medical and surgical practices of the civil war. Dr gordon damman is the founder of the national museum of civil war medicine in frederick, md. Its origin, cause and probable results, considered specially with regard to slavery dunedin, nz. Civil war battles, civil war biographies, civil war medicine, civil war potpourri, confederate states of america, essays on the civil war, foxs regimental losses, letters about the war, naval war. Bollet has written a first rate book on the practice of military medicine in the civil war. Medicine during the civil war 18611865 when walt whitman wrote that he believed the real war would never get into the books, this is the side he was talking about belferman 1996. Winner of the 1983 pulitzer prize and the bancroft prize in.
Recent research has shown a strong positive correlation between war time events such as witnessing the death of comrades, friendly fire or ied explosions and posttraumatic stress disorder. Terry reimer is the director of research the national museum of civil war medicine in frederick, md. Civil war surgeons themselves broached the idea shortly after the peace, and the first such programs opened in new york, boston, and new haven hospitals in 1873. The story of civil war medicinethe staggering challenge of treating wounds and disease on both sides of the conflictis one of the most compelling aspects of the war. Major jonathan letterman national museum of civil war. Great book with lots of information and illustrations about the state of medicine during the american civil war. A week later, soldiers of the 6th massachusetts infantry were attacked by. Prior work includes experience in historical archaeology and research, specializing in 17th, 18th and.
1115 461 277 1633 805 887 392 953 265 1409 62 838 1037 1338 297 589 16 9 263 648 706 271 107 957 759 570 1506 341 154 955 1035 1181 281 859 743 1548 837 494 308 512 386 1223 623 687 1035 1457 1173