Medical Practices of the Civil War - 1349 Words

Medical Practices of the Civil War The medical practices used during the Civil War era were not very advanced and took a big toll on the war itself. Many of the soldiers, both Union and Confederate, returned home with missing body parts, were shell shocked, or were psychologically traumatized. These medical practices during this time did not do much to help the lives of the soldiers other than doing the bare minimum to keep them alive, which in many cases, resulted in infection and disease. All of this consequented in the soldiers being affected both mentally and physically, as well as the lives of a tremendous amount of men were ruined. Many of the field surgeons during the Civil War had little experience and knowledge.†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Though the primary amputation is a violence, it is one the patient is likely to submit to without resignation, knowing that it is performed to remove parts, which if removed, will destroy life† (Bleeding Blue and Gray 219). These soldiers most likely faced their deaths in this psychological state. Another way in which soldiers had been traumatized was in the anticipation of surgery. Many of these soldiers could not stand the images of others undergoing surgery before them, knowing that they would be next to go. A lot of men were driven mad by these images that were so easily burned into their minds for life. Surgery was also very unsanitary during this time. As a Civil War prospective, â€Å"in the Civil War, weapons technology overtook medical technology† (The Americans 355). Often tools had been used repeatedly with little cleansing. â€Å"As the effects of bacteria were not yet known, surgeons never sterilized instruments, making infection one of the soldiers’ worst enemies† (The Americans 355). A seen, this kind of negligence allowed for increased probability of infection taking over the bodies of many of the patients. This would be due to the little time that field surgeons had in between each procedure. This may be seen in Brave Men in Desperate Times by John McKay, as it states â€Å"Those needing surgical intervention were rapidly moved to the operating theater, where the more experienced surgeons would quickly applyShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Medical Field Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesHow Ideas in the Developing Medical Field Shaped our Methods Today The world of medicine is a diverse and complex field. From treatments to diagnostics to technologies, medicine has a broad span of information. It had taken a tremendous amount of time for medicine to evolve. Medicine has gone through many hardships, difficulties, and obstacles in aiding civilizations throughout the years to become the developed practice we know today. 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