Civil War Field Medicine

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The Civil War had a significant impact on the field of medicine. Including substantial advancements in disease treatments, the evolution of field hospitals, and improvements in medical practices. The Civil War, lasting from 1861 to 1865 in the United States, can be argued as one of the bloodiest wars in history. This era, also called the "Middle Ages of American Medicine," marked an important period of medical advancements and discoveries despite the challenges that had to be faced. This resulted in many casualties because of the use of new weapons and tactics, which made more soldiers need medical help, so the demand for medical care led to fast changes and advancements in the field. The Civil War brought huge challenges for doctors because …show more content…

Before the Civil War, field hospitals were often disorganized and lacked proper equipment and supplies. They were described as "makeshift arrangements in whatever buildings could be found" (Smith 18). The need for improved medical care became evident due to the number of injuries sustained, leading to advancements in field hospital practices, including the implementation of triage systems and improvements in medical transportation. Additionally, advancements in medical transportation, including ambulances and medical trains, led to many changes in patient evacuation methods, which only began progressing around 1862. "Later in the war, patients were transported to large general hospitals by train or ship in urban centers. These did not exist when the war began" (Reilly 12). The introduction of ambulances and medical trains revolutionized patient evacuation methods, allowing for more efficient transportation of wounded soldiers to advanced medical facilities. "Large general hospitals were established by September of 1862... In the South, the largest general hospital, Chimborazo, was in Richmond, Virginia. It was built out of tobacco crates on 40 acres, containing five separate hospitals, each made up of 30 buildings. There were 150 wards, with 40 to 60 patients per ward. The census was as high as 4000. They treated about 76,000 patients with a 9% …show more content…

During the Civil War, there were big changes in how doctors were trained. They started special schools specifically for military surgeons. This made sure all doctors had the same training and could give better care to soldiers. Also, they made it easier to get medical help to soldiers quickly by setting up field hospitals and ambulance systems. And doctors worked hard to learn more about diseases and how to treat them better. This led to new discoveries that helped improve medical care in the future. Many people had different opinions on how the war affected medicine, and some of the claims were that "surgery was often done without anesthesia, many unnecessary amputations were done, and that care was not state of the art for the times. None of these assertions are true. Actually, during the Civil War, there were many medical advances and discoveries” (Reilly 3). The establishment of specialized schools for military surgeons provided standardized training, ensuring that all doctors had the necessary skills to provide better care to soldiers. The efforts of doctors to improve their understanding of diseases and treatments during the war led to important medical discoveries that would ultimately benefit future generations. Doctors began reconsidering their approach to patient care, which caused them to stop using old methods that didn't work

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