By: Alison Daniels & Alyssa Griesbaum Civil War Surgery Tools By: Alison Daniels & Alyssa Griesbaum

Doctor’s Aspect During Civil War times doctors were given a bad name. People referred to them as butchers because basically they would saw off the limb that was infected or had been injured. Doctors wanted to help but they couldn’t. Without the right tools, working conditions, and time a good and proper amputation just wasn’t possible. The tools they were given were assorted types of saws and needles, the working conditions were horrible. The tables barely got cleaned, the rags used were all bloody, and the water used to clean the instruments was bloody bath water which helped spread infection. The limbs were thrown into piles and were carried off and buried, or so the doctors were told. Doctors only had so much time to amputate because there were many patients needing surgery and there was only a few hours of light each day. Doctors wanted to help them but some of the doctors weren’t even doctors. They were just people who wanted to help and went to a couple days of training and were given tools and sent on their merry way.

Amputation Images

Ambutation Video Link www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpGWqJ2ue3I

Amputation saw Used for resection of large bones of the leg or arm.

Bone Brush Used to remove saw dust from the cutting site.

Bone file Used for smoothing edges and lifting out parts of bones.

Bullet probe Used to find let bullets by touching and marking the porcelain on the tip of the probe, the lead would leave a mark on the tip & they would know a bullet was there .

Chain saw Used for cutting bone in tight spaces.

Trephine Used for opening the skull bone (cranium).

Hey Saw Used to cut into the skull bone.

Tissue Retractors Used to hold back muscle during resection of the bone.

Tenaculum Used to hook arteries to pull them out enough to tie them off.

Trocar Used for bladder puncture or drainage of a body cavity.

Tourniquets Used to compress arteries above the cut during amputation