Civil War Hospitals

1
(No Transcript)
2
(No Transcript)
3
Civil War Hospitals

• Civil War Hospitals could often be found in
• farm houses and barns close to battlefields.
• As the war progressed, or at places where large
  battle occurred in this case Gettysburg
  organized tent hospitals were created.
• These hospitals would be located near good
  sources of water and railroad and roads for
  transportation of wounded.
• Click to return to picture

4
Civil War Doctors

• Most doctors at the start of the Civil War had
  very little medical training.
• To become a doctor, students went to 6months of
  lectures, then repeated those lectures.
• Most of what the doctors will learn will be
  through trail and error.
• This doctor is performing the most common Civil
  War surgery amputation (removal) of a limb.
• The bullet wounds of the Civil War, most often
  caused broken bones and there was nothing that
  could be done besides amputation.
• Civil War doctors did have anesthesia to give
  to the wounded - in the form of chloroform or
  ether
• Most experienced doctors could perform an
  amputation in 10 minutes or so.
• Unfortunately, many wounds would become infected
  as the knowledge of keeping instruments clean did
  not exist.
• It is estimated that doctors performed around
  60,000 amputations during the war.
• Click to return to picture

5
Tools of a Civil War Doctor
This large amputation knife was used To cut
through muscle and tissue
This bone saw would be used to cut bone
This tool called a tenaculum,would be used to
draw out veins from the stump after
amputations To tie them off and stop blood flow.
Click to return to picture
Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Civil
War Medicine
6
Medical Staff

• This man is probably the assistant surgeon.
• At the start of the war, each regiment had a
  surgeon and an assistant surgeon.
• The assistant probably had less formal training
  then the surgeon himself.
• Assistants would often be assigned to the aid
  station where wounded were brought initially and
  determined what kind of treatment they would
  receive.
• Other members of the medical team were ambulance
  drivers and stretcher bearers.
• At the start of the war these men were totally
  untrained and did not provide adequate attention
  to the wounded.
• On the Northern side, this will change as an
  Ambulance Corps will be created.
• Their will be special ambulance wagons created
  along with trained ambulance drivers and
  stretcher bearers.
• Click to return to picture