Essay On Medicine In The Civil War

Medicine in the Civil War During the Civil War medical practice was in one of its earliest stages. This meant that medicine was not well practiced, things were not sterile, and doctors and nurses were not knowledgeable enough for the task at hand. Two thirds of men in the war died from disease rather than gunshots or weapon related injuries. The conditions were very unsanitary, and men often became sick just because of their living conditions. There was poor hygiene in camps, a lack of quality food and water, filth, bugs, and the extremely crowded camps made them a breeding ground for disease. Clean and sanitary operations was something that had not been developed in medicine during that time. If a soldier could reach a doctor or surgeon,
Although, after the Battle of Bull Run, the United States government agreed to start setting up hospitals in near-by towns. The reason there was no hospitals developed in the beginning is because the war generals thought that it would be a short war with few casualties. They soon learned, after the Battle of Bull Run, that they were going to need more men, more supplies, and more medical care, they knew it was now going to be a long war. Even when the first hospitals were developed, the surgeons and doctors had very little knowledge. Most of them had never seen or treated such horrible wounds and diseases. These were called brigade hospitals because they were small, and could be packed up and moved easily in the event of a retreat. Later on towards the end of the war, divisional hospitals were created, these were larger, more permanent structures. Because they could not be moved, many of them were taken over by the Confederates. Through every year that the war continued, the Union hospitals began to improve. They eventually received medical books, bedding and beds, vials, medicine, needles, and other necessary medical