Ehistory civil war medicine books of all time

See also whats at wikipedia, your library, or elsewhere. In some cases, ive read these books more than once. 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, and dispells many myths about the standards of civil war medical practices. We read quite often, and not surprisingly considering were a bunch of military veterans, those books often deal with military topics. A history of the public health system the future of. An illustrated history presents an informative and in depth account of the. Lettermans system was so efficient that all wounded soldiers at the battle of. Civil war medicine articles american battlefield trust. Civil war military surgical manuals and medical textbooks civil war medical books, civil war medicine a collection of medical text books based on the surgeon generals office library catalogue in 1840, 1864, and 1865 topics. The horrors of battlefield surgery during the civil war. The best historians and books according to james mcpherson battle cry freedom 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. Shortly after the civil war, the government established columbia hospital for women to provide health care for women coming into the city to look for missing and wounded relatives. While numerous books have recounted the history of medicine in the civil war, little has been said about the drugs that were used, the people who provided and.

After serving the washington, dc area for 6 years, the. The civil war has a complex history, and it is important to explore the era from multiple perspectives. Ten years ago, cwes published its list of top two hundred civil war books and. The civil war medical officer faced problems of wound management. Fort sumter after its capture, showing damage from the rebel bombardment of over 3000 shells and now flying the rebel stars and bars april 14, 1861. Nevertheless, the books on this list are, indeed, my alltime favorites cherished works that have informed and inspired me, sometimes leaving me awestruck. Of them, 5 signed up to fight for the confederate army. Medical textbooks, civil war medical books, antique medical books, and rare medical books which were used during the civil war by surgeons both in the union and. Troops from rural areas were crowded together for the first time with large. He seems to be gloss over the surgery and amputation section rather quickly compared to other aspects of civil war era medicine. Statistically, the mexican war was the deadliest ever fought by an american army.

Nearly 4 million men, more than 11 percent of the entire american population, were engaged in the war 1. It covers key players in the development of medical affairs while bringing forth quite a bit of information to many subject matters. Actual civil war surgeons wrote articles for these. April 15, 1861 president lincoln issues a proclamation calling for 75,000 militiamen, and summoning a special session of congress for july 4. It gives a real feel as to how it must have been to actually hold what must have appeared to the patients as instruments of torture. Harvard medical school did not even own a single stethoscope or microscope until after the war. Medicine in the united states was woefully behind europe. It is said that at the peak of the civil war, the washington, dc area included as many as 85 hospitals. During the war it was probably consulted more than any time in the past. For medical practitioners in the field during the civil war, germ theory, antiseptic clean medical practices, advanced equipment, and organized hospitalization systems were virtually unknown. The homepage is a brief introduction with a number of links related to the civil war. Men dressed in period costume of the 1800s portray soldiers from the civil war during a reenactment of the battle of big bethel in newport news, virginia, which took place in 1861.

Examine a previously unexplored aspect of civil war military medicine. Generally, civil war doctors underwent two years of medical school, though some. Injured at the 1864 battle of petersburg via national museum of health and medicine haunting portraits of civil war soldiers horrifically maimed on american battlefields page 3 of 3 men missing legs, arms, fingers and toes these compelling portraits show the disfigured and maimed bodies of soldiers wounded in battle during the civil war. Civil war general civil war era medical book topics. Gangrene and glory is a great book covering just about every aspect of medical related issues in the civil war. The government undertook, of course, to provide all that was necessary for the. The state of medical knowledge at the time of the civil war was extremely primitive. The brutal reality of the war pushed doctors to a new level of medical and surgical knowledge. From april 1861 to april 1865, a brutal civil war was fought between the confederate states of america and the united states of america. Only snippets about it appear in our textbooks of medical history, and we are biased by. The best civil war books of all time analysis civil. Civil war medicine illustrated living history series. Economic necessity and the desire for an easier life drove many women to the sex trade in the decades leading up to the civil war.

Amputation in the civil war south university of georgia press, 2015. These ambitious books are long, yes, but also deeply rewarding for those who commit to getting through them. The roots of this tragic conflict go back to the birth of the country. Google books has the documents of the sanitary commission in several volumes. Anatomy, physiology, materia medica, pharmacy, therapeutics, pathology, physic, practice of medicine, surgery, medical jurisprudence. Bollet has studied the medical history of the war extensively.

Keith wilbur takes you on a detailed and fascinating tour through the medical history of this bloody and devastating war. Primary sources national museum of civil war medicine. Generally, civil war doctors underwent two years of medical school, though some pursued more education. Civil war surgery and the evolution of american medicine 2005 394 pp. Questions i have often asked after reading other books have here been answered and answered so simply.

History of the national library of medicine civil war. Confederate artillerist porter alexanders memoir would be a close second. Trying to name the top dozen civil war books of all time is, admittedly, a brazen act on my part. The history of the public health system is a history of bringing knowledge and values together in the public arena to shape an approach to health problems. Medical training was just emerging out of the heroic era, a time where physicians advocated bloodletting, purging. The national museum of civil war medicine also honors innovation in modern military medicine the major jonathan letterman medical excellence award. The best historians and books according to james mcpherson. Most civil war surgeons had never treated a gunshot wound and many had never performed surgery. Erichsens surgery, bennets practice of medicine, john footes practitioners pharmacopeia, amos deans principles of medical jurisprudence, and claude bernard and charles huettes manual. Here is the first comprehensive examination of pharmaceutical practice and drug provision during the civil war. During the period just before the civil war, a physician received minimal surgical training. Ohara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the civil war forever change her way of life. What are the 10 best civil war books ever published nonfiction or fiction.

When the civil war began, the university of mississippi had 9 students. Battlefield medicine and surgery at the beginning of the civil war to put the civil war in perspective, the u. Bollet has written a first rate book on the practice of military medicine in the civil war. Before the eighteenth century throughout recorded history, epidemics such as the plague, cholera, and smallpox evoked sporadic public efforts to protect citizens in the face of a dread disease. Biographies articles books exhibitions oral histories images videos.

Finley preferred certain books for his own use, among them gross surgery, john e. The school was put to use as a war hospital, and all but four members of its student body joined together to form company a of the 11th mississippi. Challenges and triumphs is wellorganized, approachable to the noncivil 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, and dispells many myths about the standards of civil war medical practices. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. I bought this book to prepare for giving tours of a new civil war medical exhibit at a local museum. It was a war of firsts in many ways it was the first time that aerial reconnaissance was used and the first time the railway and telegram services were militarized. Womens work and sex work in nineteenthcentury america.

The books hero is ronald ross, the british doctor who in the late 19th century discovered that mosquitoes spread malaria and was rewarded with the 1902 nobel prize in physiology or medicine. This essay series is written by mercy streets medical, historical and technical advisor, stanley b. Nearly all the older doctors served as apprentices in lieu of formal education. Prices for civil war medical, surgical, anatomy text books. Space constraints prevented us from including their answers to one of the questions we posed. The author takes particular focus on the holistic approach that doctors had and the various medicines they used, many of which did nothing.

We purchased the book to help our staff with civil war medicine programs. However, while advanced or hygienic may not be terms attributed to medicine in the nineteenth century, modern hospital practices and treatment methods owe much to the legacy of civil war medicine. A photographic history is an extensive collection of neverbeforepublished photographs taken during the civil war. Good summary of basic information relating to civil war medicine. Unlike the photos in other civil war medicine books they actually show the instruments almost lifesize. It provides a visual encyclopedia of medical facilities, individual surgeons, and other medically related phenomena, accompanied by a text describing the main features of civil war medicine. Of the approximately 620,000 soldiers who died in the war, twothirds of these deaths were not the result of enemy fire. The untold story of how americas progressiveera war on smallpox sparked one of the great civil.

The american civil war is one of the most researched conflicts in modern history, yet many people still desire more knowledge about it. We here at watm love putting together lists and rankings, so it makes sense for us create one for nonfiction books. Click here to read more about letterman and his work during the civil war. The civil war in the united states began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states rights and westward expansion. The encyclopedia of civil war medicine 2012 excerpt and text search. Read press books from the national museum of civil war medicine including the diary of caleb dorsey baer and prologue to change. 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.