Medical Practices in the Civil War

by Susan Provost Beller

Discusses medical care during the Civil War, focusing on disease, wounds, medical personnel, instruments, surgery and anesthesia, recovery, and changes in medicine during the war

Genres: Civil War, Medical, American History, Nonfiction, History

96 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Madaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating short work. Facts: People didn't die from the fighting alone; they died from diseases stemming from dirty operating equipment, poor sanitary conditions, etc. Much of the way hospitals and health care are set up today are due to the long term life and death struggle of the civil war. Hospitals are built in pavilion design as started during the Civil War (to air out the bad germs). Anesthesia began to be widely used during the Civil Wa: Surgical resections and incisions became commonplace during this war. Women who worked in military hospitals brought back changes to their home hospitals after the war. Embalming became widely practiced during the Civil War. Doctors began photographing and cataloging their work during the Civil War whereupon they learned from their previous work. Medical personnel became known as 'neutrals' during the Civil War and were not fired upon-common practice today.

Of course, we learn of the horrors of the war too, such as the bullet introduced during this war known as the Minie ball which damaged bones by shattering them as opposed to previous ammunition, the musked ball which was not as devastating.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and interesting read on savage medical practices that existed only 150 years ago. I was fascinated to know that more soldiers died of disease instead of bullets. As always, war is terrible, horrible, and full of bloodshed; this book does nothing to glamorize war or its after-effects.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look at the early medical department in the time of war.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, brief introduction to medicine during the Civil War. Aimed at younger readers, it flows smoothly.