 Most men did not die on the battlefield,
but in a bed due to disease.
 Union
 Battle Deaths/Wounds – 110,070
 Disease – c. 250,000
 Confederacy
 Battle Deaths/Wounds – 94,000
 Disease – 164,000
 When supplies were brought to
the warfront, ammunition was
sent first, then rations, and then
medical supplies.
 Medical equipment was bulky
and hard to move, so they were
often inaccessible.
 Surgical instruments were used
on soldier after soldier without
much more than a cleaning with
water.
 Anesthesia was new and so
several hundred surgeries were
performed with no anesthesia.
 People often did not wash their
hands before treating a wound.
 At this time people did not know
about the transmission of
bacteria.
 Men would put dirty rags over
their wounds
 In order to stop hemorrhaging
doctors would pack the wound
with powerful astringent or
chemicals often causing more
harm.
 It was expected that wounds would
fester and there was no relief, no
pain killers or antibiotics.
 At the outbreak of the war, the
armies nurses consisted of barely
trained men.
 Approximately 2000 women in
the North and South
volunteered as nurses.
Clara Barton
 This was a dangerous job, but
many wanted to be at the
frontlines.
Dorthea Dix
 Private relief organization
created in 1861
 Believed that the government did
a poor job of taking care of the
health, comfort, and welfare of
the soldiers, so they volunteered
to help.
 Inspected cooking, clothing, and
sanitation of Union soldier
encampments.
 Predict what it might be like to be a wounded soldier during the
Civil War. Describe the day. Include the following: How did you get
hurt? What was the surgery like? What are the conditions like? Who
did you meet? How do you feel? Are you scared of anything?
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Content
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"The Civil War Army Surgeon and His Work." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010.
<http://civilwarhome.com/armysurgeon.htm>.
"Casualties and Costs of the Civil War." Digital History. Web. 01 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us20.cfm>.
"Civil War Hospitals, Surgeons, and Nurses." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010.
<http://civilwarhome.com/hospitalssurgeonsnurses.htm>.
"The Sanitary Commission To The Rescue." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010.
<http://civilwarhome.com/sanitarycommtorescue.htm>.
Photos
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"Harewood Hospital in Washington, D.C." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec.
2010.
"Doctors examine Civil War prisoner." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
http://www.civilwarbooklady.com/images/Civil_War_Medicine.jpg
"Amputation at Civil War hospital." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
"Civil War ambulance." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/spec/exhibits/pnc_riggs/exhibit_images/Clara-Barton.jpg
http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/upload/schools/fhs/2675-dorothea-dix.jpg
"U.S. Sanitary Commission nurses and officers." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1
Dec. 2010.
"U.S. Sanitary Commission quarters." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
"Battle of Gettysburg casualties." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.
"Battle of the Wilderness." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.