Though the civil war, with its painful gestation and aftermath, could. Medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion. Eleven southern slave states declared their secession from the united states and formed the confederate states of america, also known as the confederacy. Caring for the men, the history of civil war medicine. Medical care could be effective, and it could make a difference in disease and injury outcomes. The medical history of the union army in the civil war. The american civil war 18611865 was a civil war in the united states of america. Military medicine military history oxford bibliographies. Walt whitman remarked on the plethora of hospitals around washington d. The health crisis of the american civil war, i begin from a different perspective, recognizing that there was such a thing as good medicine and bad medicine during the war. The story of civil war medicine the staggering challenge of treating wounds and disease on both sides of the conflictis one of the most compelling aspects of the war. While history examines the interplay of events in the past, historiography examines the secondary sources written by historians as books and articles, evaluates the primary sources they use, and provides a critical.
Hundreds of illustrations, combined with wellresearched and engaging text, tell the tale of the challenges presented to physicians with each new battle and the oftenheroic ways those challenges were. Video, historian george wunderlich highlights the complexities and discusses the innovations in medical practices throughout the civil war. He seems to be gloss over the surgery and amputation section rather quickly compared to other aspects of civil war era medicine. This video is part of the american battlefield trusts in4 video series, which presents short videos on basic civil war topics. For every soldier who died in battle, two died of disease.
There was a lot in the book i had not heard before. Schroederleins the encyclopedia of civil war medicine comes in very handy. From the old books depicting how to amputate a limb to the photographs of the rusty saws and scalpels they used on the unfortunate patients, it truly is a thing of nightmares. History civil war you may think that some civil war soldiers were glad to get wounded. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. Journal articles on the civil war medicine civil war. These books were used in civil war medicine and contributed greatly to the medical personnel during the war. Nmcwm press books caleb dorsey baer the diary and letters of dr. Medicine september 3, 20 circulating now collections, news leave a comment shauna devine spoke today at the national library of medicine on the civil war, the army medical museum, and the surgeon generals library.
How world war i revolutionized medicine the atlantic. Written for general readers and scholars alike, this firstofits kind encyclopedia will help all civil war enthusiasts to better understand this amazing medical saga. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Civil war medical books and civil war surgical sets. When the war began, the united states army medical staff consisted of only the surgeon general, thirty surgeons, and eightythree assistant surgeons. Michael echols buys civil war medical and surgery books, manuals, and surgical sets. Catton forged a trail for later civil war historians by writing his account of the army of the potomac from the point of view of soldiers in the ranks.
While the national museum of civil war medicine is proud to be a part of that tradition of learning from the past, our story starts a little. Medical and surgical care during the american civil war. Authors james lincoln collier and christopher collier stated in 2012, no event in american history has been so thoroughly studied, not merely by historians, but by tens of thousands of other. Of these, twentyfour resigned to go south, and three other assistant surgeons were promptly dropped for disloyalty. The literature on the war is so vast you could spend a lifetime reading really good books about it. Baer, neverbeforepublished documents, show a human side to the civil war, including the toll the war took on families, magnified through the alwayschanging fortunes of the border states.
The encyclopedia of civil war medicine and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Mcpherson is considered to be the dean of civil war historians. The medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion, 186165 the mshwr was a united states government printing office publication consisting of six volumes, issued between 1870 and 1888 and prepared under the direction of surgeon general united states army. It includes articles about the history of civil war medicine, the ambulance corps, nurses, etc. The ten best history books of 2019 history smithsonian. Containing all medical and surgical information concerning the war and illustrated with fine engravings and photos. The war is better known as the first mass killing of the 20th centurywith an estimated 10 million military deaths alone. Civil war surgeons at petersburg library of congress during the 1860s, doctors had yet to develop bacteriology and were generally ignorant of the causes of disease. I bought this book at the pea ridge civil war battlefield near bentonville, arkansas, with the intent of using it as story material. Women will not be what they are now elizabeth blackwell breaks the bonds. Im looking for recommendations for books that discuss medical treatments during the civil war. This encyclopedia contains entries on all aspects of civil war medicine, such as medical terms, diseases, wounds, treatments, notable figures, battles, soldiers aid societies, womens roles, hospital design and function, and sanitation issues, presented alphabetically.
Challenges and triumphs to be an excellent book, well. Civil war pharmacy is the first book to delineate how the growing field of pharmacy gained respect and traction in, and even distinction from, the medical world because of the largescale manufacture and dispersion of drug supplies and therapeutics during the civil war. Open access articles women will not be what they are now elizabeth blackwell breaks the bonds. Many misconceptions exist regarding the quality of care during the war.
People started collecting civil war artifacts, including medical artifacts, even before the battles had ended. The american civil war bibliography comprises books that deal in large part with the american civil war. Keith wilbur takes you on a detailed and fascinating tour through the medical history of this bloody and devastating war. As the civil war began, the practice of medicine was emerging from the heroic era, with its theory of bringing a balance to the humors of the body. The site contains over nine thousand photos and nine hundred pages of articles on civil war medicine, surgical, and medical antiques. The encyclopedia of civil war medicine jh libraries. Civil war medicine provides data from the battle field to the hospital. Her remarks took place the at the society of civil war historians. Civil war medical books is a site dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of medical and surgical manuals used in the civil war, especially those marked u. Curing wounds caused by arquebus and firearms, a book cited by others for.
Civil war medicine articles american battlefield trust. Civil war medicine illustrated living history series. Great book with lots of information and illustrations about the state of medicine during the american civil war. However, the historiographical perspective is outdated favoring a. Mending broken faces of war civil war medicine national. Good summary of basic information relating to civil war medicine. I can only imagine how it must have been for the soldiers. A history is a scholarly chronicle of the rise of the u.
Catching up with shauna devine, historian of civil war medicine. The civil war and the rise of american medical science civil war america devine, shauna on. To have an understanding of the daily life of a soldier, be he either confederate or federal, during the american civil war, one must have a basic knowledge of the medical terms and practices of the time. Journal is available to ohiolink patrons via the electronic journal center. When theres a war, there are evolutionary changes, not necessarily revolutionary changes, says jeff reznick, a historian at the national library of medicine in bethesda, maryland. Any recommended reading list therefore has to be highly selective and at least somewhat arbitrary. Unfortunately the format was a little annoying to read. Buy a cheap copy of civil war medicine illustrated living.
Andrew wagenhoffer, civil war books and authors blog now in an updated second edition, civil war pharmacy. The american civil war medical and surgical antiques site offers authentic medical and surgical antiques for sale. Shauna devine, phd is a civil war historian and assistant professor at. He is best known for his pulitzer prize winning book battle cry of freedom which is the best overview of the civil war. During the civil war, both sides were devastated by battle and disease. Six ways the civil war changed american medicine science. The sesquicentennial of the american civil war has generated a good deal of. Stephen ambrose 19362002 biographer of presidents dwight d.
Six ways the civil war changed american medicine 150 years ago, the historic conflict forced doctors to get creative and to reframe the way they thought about medicine a ward in carver hospital in. Henry adams 18381918 history of the united states in the presidential administrations of thomas jefferson and james madison. Hill,22 robertson draws on contemporary medical knowledge. The best historians and books according to james mcpherson. Medical practice and the science of american medicine. The civil war soldier also faced outbreaks of measles, small pox, malaria, pneumonia, or camp itch. Civil war medicine for the unfortunate civil war soldier, whether he came from the north or from the south, not only got into the army. There are over 60,000 books on the war, with more appearing each month. Once concentrated almost entirely in philadelphia, the industry embarked on a nationwide expanse after the war. However, this was not the case at all during the civil war. Military medicine can be seen as being as old as armed conflict itself in higher. In particular, intestinal complaints such as dysentery and diarrhea claimed many lives.
Author and professor shauna devine talks about civil war medicine and how it. There is a collection of civil war medical textbooks, surgeon information, bottles, books, and instruments. Gutheries commentaries on the surgery of war, notes on the surgery of the war in the crimea, the. The brutal reality of the war pushed doctors to a new level of medical and surgical knowledge.
Bollet spells out his goal in the introduction to the book. Nurses, surgeons, and physicians rose to the challenge of healing a nation and advanced medicine into the modern age. In 2014, the new york times published a brief interview with noted civil war historian james mcpherson, the george henry davis 1886 professor of american history at princeton university. Yet, what we now call military medicine is really a product of the 19th and. The author takes particular focus on the holistic approach that doctors had and the various medicines they used, many of which did nothing. Generally, civil war doctors underwent two years of medical school, though some pursued more education. After all, they would be able to relax in a nice clean hospital and get looked after by expert doctors instead of fighting. Medical practitioners had no knowledge of germ theory or antiseptic practices. Widely regarded as the most authoritative onevolume history of the war. I am a nurse and id like to get a better grasp of diseases and disorders that are spoken about in historical accounts i am reading. To clarify, when i say that the material in shm on war and medicine is skewed.
Tony horwitzs confederates in the attic changed the way we talk about the civil war. Civil war union surgical manuals and medical books. Clearly organized, authoritative, and readable, the. The american civil war is one of the most researched conflicts in modern history, yet many people still desire more knowledge about it. Medicine in the united states did some significant evolving during the civil war. This era is often referred to in a negative way as the middle ages of medicine in the united states. Indeed, this last persisted for a surprisingly long time, and was seen in our civil war. Despite a new investigative approach, civil war historians have by no means.
Medicine and war introduction social history of medicine oxford. The medical and surgical history of the war of the rebellion. United states history civil war, 18611865 include extended shelves you can also browse an alphabetical list from this subject or from. Medicine in the united states was woefully behind europe.
Many of these operations were spectacularly successful, with veterans afterwards enjoying fairly normal lives. The historiography of the united states refers to the studies, sources, critical methods and interpretations used by scholars to study the history of the united states. Medicine, in world war i, made major advances in several directions. Six books on the civil war these six histories of the civil war that are mustreads if you want to better understand the conflict a group of officers in culpeper, virginia reading. It has been said that the american civil war was the first modern war in terms of technology and lethality of weapons, but that it was simultaneously fought at the end of the medical middle ages. Challenges and triumphs is wellorganized, approachable to the non civil war history buff or those lacking in a medical background, addresses both confederate as well as union history a standard failing in many civil war works. The american civil war bibliography comprises books that deal in large part with the american. The most comprehensive guide to the historiography annotates over a thousand major titles, with an emphasis on military topics. A superb historical book that spans a period of roughly five thousand years. A collection of civil war era surgical manuals and medical books for the u. In fact, diarrhea and dysentery alone claimed more men than did battle wounds. Civil war from april 1861 to april 1865, a brutal civil war was fought between the confederate states of america and the united states of america. While the national museum of civil war medicine is proud to be a part of that tradition of learning from the past, our story starts a little closer to the present in 1971 to be specific. Far more books have been written about the civil war than about any other event in american history, and lincolns stack of books towers over that of any other american figure.