Civil War Medicine History

The date was July 21, 1861; the date on which the First Battle of Bull Run was commenced. 35,000 Union troops met 20,000 Confederate troops near Manassas Junction, Virginia to fight what would be known as the first land battle of the Civil War (History.com Staff, para.1). Bullets flew, and orders were yelled as both sides were locked in combat. Soldier after soldier succumbed to death or injury, inevitably concluding the battle with a total of roughly 4,750 casualties: 3,000 Union and 1,750 Confederate (History.com Staff, para. 7). In the Civil War, casualties were as commonplace as cellular devices are today. Unfortunately, the medical practices in the Civil War were quite the opposite of hygienic. Soldier after soldier often opted to be taken to the residence of whosoever happened to live nearest to the battlefield instead, so that they might avoid these conditions.
Several early hospitals were unsanitary and were a breeding ground for diseases such as dysentery, malaria, and typhoid. Doctors possessed a primitive knowledge of antiseptic and sterilization; it was exceedingly rare for them to be seen cleaning their tools. This practice often led to infectious wounds, which turned gangrenous. When a wound was gangrenous, as it often was, or a soldier’s limb needed to be saved, physicians turned to amputation, which was a quick and efficient treatment in the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, chloroform was equipped as a form of anesthesia, and surgeons were known to complete operations in ten minutes, allotting them more time to treat other patients. (Paul, para. 7). All of these early forms of battlefield medicine have helped to shape the medical community in one way or another. Without the rudimentary medical practices displayed above, modern medicine could not have developed into what it is