Letter To A Surgeon In The Civil War Report

May 26, 1861
Dear
Chummy,
My name is Lee Jong Suk. I am surgeon in the Civil war. Ive just started! So far, it’s been about a month from when I had first started as a surgeon for the Union soldiers. So far, there has been no plans in place to treat the wounded or sick Union soldiers. I have to treat the soldiers in the field, in a small tent. And there are only a few tables and beds for the wounded soldiers, which can hold only six patients. And the supplies are not quite good. Their aren't that much pain MEDs, or good amputation tools. For amputation we have a solution called chloroform, this is an anesthetic that we use. My assistants soak the cloth’s with the chloroform and place it on the nose of the wounded soldiers. They are to inhale
Anyways, this year it’s been crazy! I’m still an attending surgeon in the Civil War. Although the last time Ive wrote I recall it was about 2 years ago!! 2 years later and now the medical tools and field has improved in so many ways!! First off we have developed a system of transport for the wounded Union soldiers to the general hospitals! Which is great! They are wooden ambulances which could hold u to around 400 wounded lying down. There are 2 medical officials and a driver for the horses. After so many of the major battles the injured had to receive care in the open. As the war progressed, nurses were enlisted, generally two per regiment. In the general hospitals, one nurse was employed for about every ten patients. And since the wagons for transportation was needed for many soldiers to be brought from brigade hospitals to the general hospitals was insufficient and many soldiers were dying in mobile hospitals at the front and could not be transported to the general hospitals. I believe it was the second medical director army, Jonathan letterman who has completed the process of putting together new ambulance crops. Each regiment was assigned two wagons, one carrying medical supplies, and the other to serve as a transport for the wounded soldiers, and soon it was increased to three per regiment. And the Union medical care improved dramatically each year. Which made me really happy! By the end of last year I remembered each regiment was being regularly supplied with a standard set of medical supplies included medical books, supplies of medicine, small hospital furniture like bed-pans, containers for mixing medicines, spoons, vials, bedding, lanterns, etc. And the wagons transported the wounded to nearby railroad depots where they could be quickly transported to the general hospitals at the military supply hubs. The divisional hospitals were given large staffs, nurses, cooks, several doctors, and large tents