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Diseases in the civil war essay
Diseases in the civil war essay
Medical advances during 19th cuntery
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Civil War soldiers fought for something more than just manhood, duty, government, and their country. They fought for and against slavery, which for most soldiers was their primary motivation beyond defending their home. Slavery for many was more than just an institution, it was the fabric of their economic society that provided the wealth and opportunity to the South. Without slavery the South could not operate and prosper which made it impossible for the notion of emancipation. However, those in the North did not immediately rely on the institution of slavery in such dire manner.
In total, over 600,000 soldiers lost their lives in battle and to disease. While many soldiers anticipated the honorable death of dying on the field, there were twice as many soldiers that died from disease in the camp as that that died in battle. During the 19th century, medicine was relatively primative, and the lack of the germ theory or knowledge of antiseptic resulted in rapid disease spreading. Lack of general resources such as adequate clothes, nutrition, clean water, and santitary stations also contributed to the spread of common diseases like measles, typhoid fever, and malaria. Most commonly, soldiers suffered from diarheia and disentary, which combined with lack of clean water resulted in many cruel deaths.
After the Civil War conditions were really bad because a lot of homes and personal properties were destroyed. Because of the War the Union lost 370,000 troop members and the Confederacy lost 260,000. Total 375,000 troop members were injured. Many civilians in the South died because of access to food was infrequent. I believe Reconstruction was necessary because after four long years of war they should move on from it and reunite as one.
During the beginning of the of the Civil War, there were many medical advancements, like the quinine a drug that helped fight Malaria. The doctors had just recently discovered bacteria and antisepsis. With this new knowledge, they began to change the way they treated patients and organized areas for treating the wounded. They started to think about things like cleanliness and how to set up a hospital. As the Civil War went on, it was less of a battle to see who was winning the fights and more to see who could keep their men healthy.
The Civil War: “the central event in America's historical consciousness” (A Brief Overview of the American Civil War). This was a period of time full of blood, violence, and severe tension between a “united” nation to solve the abiding dispute over slavery. During the Civil War, thousands of soldiers were wounded and killed. Because of the constant trauma, nurses played a huge role during the Civil War. Having nurses on the battlefield to respond to wounded soldiers was crucial in saving lives, so soldiers could eventually continue to fight.
I am willing to take chances of…disunion, sooner than submit any longer to Northern insolence and Northern outrage." (Document I). 618,000 people died during the Civil War. Economic differences between the North and the South,interpretations of the Constitution, the thought of slavery was morally wrong what caused the Civil War . The states were suppose to create a union but ended up not happening.
Medicine during the Civil War was as half as good as it is today. Some of the main reasons why this was is, because most doctors weren’t certified, were drunk, and using things like mercury to treat patients. Also, their supply of medical equipment was not that good especially down south due to the blockades. Doctors would use plants and unusual concoctions if they did not have certain medicines or materials. Overall, the medical treatment during the Civil War was not good and sometimes did nothing to help the patient.
The Civil War was filled with many diseases and deaths. Over 620,000 men lost their lives during this war; roughly two thirds of the casualties were caused by the lack of medical knowledge of many diseases. The remaining one third of the casualties was from the actual battle itself. The war became a turning point for many women interested in the medical field. The knowledge of medicine was the beginning of a new age during the Civil War, and the lack of it led to many gruesome deaths.
There were over 30,000 amputation procedures done during the Civil War and depending on where you received the surgery is what your death rate was. “Hip amputations… had mortality rates of around 83%. An upper arm amputation… had a mortality rate of about 24%.” Not only did soldiers have to endure the war, once they came home their partners would notice that things were different with
Although, not all of these fatalities were from seized from enemy fire; nearly two-thirds of the total deaths were caused by diseases that struck those who were fighting. The idea that caused so many deaths was due to the spreading of germs. Surgeons would operate on open wounds and though many were to be treated, infections were persistent during the war and would slowly kill the soldiers whom it affected. Because of the death toll from the spreading of germs and infections, the Union states in the North began transporting wounded soldiers to nearby hospitals for medical care. Soon after officials realized the medical system needed to be revamped, the ambulance corps was put in place.
The Civil war physicians that studied gangrene lesion used the microscope which revealed dead tissue blood vessels in the area occluded with “stagnant blood” and these microscopic organisms they observed was a result of infection. According to Adams “the gangrene patient might see a black spot the size of a dime, appear on his healing wound, and watch with horrified interest its rapid spread until his whole leg or arm was but a rotten, evil-smelling mass of dead flesh” Even though they did not establish bacteriology the physicians understood that the disease was destructive. This led to studies of the disease and there was a demand for cleanliness and the use of disinfectants in hospitals. This demonstrates a positive impact of the Civil War on medicine because physicians
During the civil war (lasting from 1861 to 1865) many changes in our nation occurred. Some of those changes were in government, agriculture, work, laws, military, and machinery. The military and machinery advancements that occurred during the civil war were very large steps into the things we used today. They modernization of the military tactics and weapons made it easier for the U.S. to fight and the new machinery made those new “modern” ideas come to life.
The Civil War war the deadliest in American history, due to poor hospitals, lack of resources, and the fighting between the north and south. Bad hospitality was one of many reason why the Civil War was the deadliest in American history. The medication they needed to help fight off infections and illnesses were running low. With a estimated amount of 150,000 deaths per year which equals to 620,000 deaths in total by the end of the Civil War. It was breathtaking how the lack of resources in the Civil War.
The Civil War took a great toll over everyone in the South, considering the fact that it was really destructive. Emotionally, it was distressing because there were so many injured people to the point where it even caused frustration. Like when Scarlett had been helping out all day with the injured, and she had gotten tired of constantly seeing people hurt wherever she looked. Many people did not come home to their families either, as the long list of names came into town of those who had been killed in the war, which did leave many devastated. Physically, it was chaotic due to the result of the damage that the Yankees have been doing.
The Civil War The Civil War was the deadliest war in American history with over 600000 American deaths reported. This war was fought to keep the Confederate States from leaving the Union. The Union won because they had a telegraph system and had more resources. The effect of the Union victory has had a large impact on society.