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Jonathan Letterman's Cruelty During The American Civil War

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CIVIL WAR MEDICINE The American Civil War was known for its cruelty– its harsh weapons and tactics produced the highest causality rates in any American conflict. Over 600,000 Americans were killed in the conflict. the Civil War actually marked a turning point in medicine – not only on the battlefield, but in the country as well. Most of the war show patients taking a drink of Whiskey or biting a belt or strap while doctors did their business. In fact, chloroform was standard issue for every doctor. The chloroform allowed for the doctors to successfully amputate with the patient unconscious. Union Medical Director Jonathan Letterman made a system of diagnosis and care that still exists today. Letterman’s system called for triage near the …show more content…

Each doctor received what amounted to barrels for storing water for sanitary purposes. By doing a lot of surgeries, doctors gained a lot of experience not only in dealing with war wounds, but also in their knowledge about the vertebrae, spine, and head. While men were in battle, women filled the need for bodies in the hospitals. It is estimated that 3200 women served as nurses. They risked their lives leaving home to work in the cesspools of infection. They lived separately from the soldiers and only made $12 a month. While many women are nurses today, their service in the war began their integration into the work force over the next 100 years. But in medicine, women nurses soon became commonplace. George Wunderlich, executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, called the conflict, “a watershed that really changed all medicine to the point where it could never completely go back to the way it was before. the large numbers of casualties necessitated the need for more advanced medicine and forms of care to help the soldiers survive their wounds. Most did survive the wounds but not the

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Lasting from 1861 to 1865, the Civil War acquired the highest death toll out of any United States war, resulting in more than 620,000 deaths, along with millions of others severely wounded. In truth, the amount of deaths in the Civil War adds up to more than any other war until the Vietnam War, directly impacting over ten percent of the population and influencing almost every civilian through family or friend’s deaths. Aside from the strife and bloodshed endured in war, the Civil War also promoted advances in the American culture and yielded legendary leaders that are still commemorated for their achievements today (Stauffer 1). Of the many leaders that gained their fame from the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant is regarded as one of the most iconic

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A soldier dreaded being on the battlefield more than being in the field hospital, right…? Field hospitals were usually very, very crowded. There were never enough beds for everybody and people that couldn’t get a bed were laid outside of the hospital on the ground. Doctors were always overworked and went to the soldiers who needed the most help first. So, if you had a broken bone, chances are you would be stuck waiting for hours and maybe even days.

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Playing a major role, “Civil War nurses cleaned and bandaged wounds, fed soldiers, dispensed medication and assisted surgeons during operations and medical procedures like amputations” (Brooks). Wounded soldiers relied on the nurses, hoping that they would do whatever they can to get them back on the battlefield. Women who worked as, “Army nurses traveled from hospital to hospital, providing humane and efficient care for wounded, sick and dying soldiers” (“history.org staff”). Women helped the soldiers out a lot during the war caring for them when wounded or sick. Without women being Nurses, the soldiers would not be getting as much helped as they needed.

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