The U.S. Medicine During the Civil War: A Response to the Discussion

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Table of Contents

Ryan
Meagan
References

Ryan

I agree with the position, which is apparent in your discussion, that medicine during the Civil War was in poor condition. At the same time, as you state, the war was the bloodiest conflict ever seen and had a significant impact on people’s lives. These facts appear evident while looking at the two exhibitions: American Sanitary Commission Records in the New York Public Library Digital Collections (2020), and “Life and limb: The toll of the American Civil War” (2019) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Both of these collections give evidence for your statements regarding the methods of the treatment during the Civil War.

As you argue, the overall state of the medicine at that time was highly primitive, and doctors need to use any available treatment tools. After some additional reading, I found that the scholarly opinion about it coincides with your conclusion. The prevailing view often refers to the Civil War period as “the Middle Ages of American medicine” (Reilly, 2016, p. 138). Indeed, the methods of the treatment were often inadequate; instead of the proper treatment, three of every four surgical procedures… were amputation,” which required “about 2 to 10 minutes to complete” (Reilly, 2016, p. 138).

The vast amount of the soldiers who became victims of such a treatment can be visible on the pictures of the exhibition (“Life and limb: The toll of the American Civil War,” 2019). You reasonably point out that the instruments used for these procedures were not sanitary. Indeed, the basic disinfection methods were violated, and, as a result, the most common issue was Streptococcal infection, causing severe implications for the soldiers’ health.

Meagan

Your observation about victims of the war who lost their legs and, using the crutches, had to relearn to walk afterward made me feel deep compassion and condolence towards them. Indeed, the amputation was the most often applied by the doctors’ method, as there were neither proper instruments and medications nor human resources to conduct a long-term treatment. As Reilly states, “the public perception was… that too many amputations were being performed” (Reilly, 2016, p. 141). In order to decrease people’s discontent, the sanitary commission had to ensure that only high-level medical practitioners were allowed to conduct such procedures as surgeries and amputations.

Further, you mention wagons as a means of transportation. Indeed, in the current literature about the Civil War, “the wagons, oxcarts, and just anything else available” (Haller, 2011, p. 45) are mentioned as a means for transportation. You also observe the barracks (Sanitary Comission, 2020). Indeed, there were no civil hospitals at the beginning of the Civil War. Some of the patients were transported to the hospitals in the civil centers; however, those were established later, not before 1862 (Reiily, 2016, p. 139). In the pictures of the exhibition, the hospitals in the tents and soldiers’ homes depict the poor state of the medical infrastructure.

Your observation that the soldiers were all well dressed made be to think of it. Probably, you refer to the ceremonial pictures of the veterans of the war, where they were depicted in formal wear. As I observe, this does not appear in the pictures representing the war actions. Another peculiar note that you make is the comparison of the field hospital with tents with the show MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital).

A television series about the Korean War (1950-1953), indeed, depict a similar state of medicine, though related to the twentieth century. However, after such an evaluation, I took the time to review the point about the state of medicine during the Civil War. I found that many sources indicate that this era of medicine is often connected with misconceptions (Reilly, 2016). It is, perhaps, not the lack of knowledge but rather the lack of the supply of the medications and other necessary tools that caused a low level of treatment effectiveness and a high percentage of deaths among the patients.

References

Haller, J. S. (2011). Battlefield Medicine: A History of the Military Ambulance from the Napoleonic Wars through World War I. SIU Press.

The New York Public Library Digital Collections. (2020). United States Sanitary Commission Records. Web.

Reilly, R. F. (2016). Medical and Surgical Care During the American Civil War, 1861-1865. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 29(2), 138–142.

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2019). Life and Limb: The Toll of the Americal Civil War. Web.

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The U.S. Medicine During the Civil War: A Response to the Discussion

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