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Published byDwayne Barton Modified over 8 years ago
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Civil War Medicine
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Source of Injury Minnie Ball: Head or abdominal wound was almost always fatal Hit to the limb would usually shatter bone Carried dirt, germs Sometimes made of lead
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Disease It is estimated at most, 1 of 3 deaths occurred from battle wounds Many died from disease Typhoid (leading cause of death): Caused by bacteria High temperature Stomach pain Rash Dysentery (2 nd leading cause of death): bleeding and inflammation in the intestines Dehydration is a major concern Pneumonia (3 rd leading cause of death): Lungs become inflamed filled with fluid Coughing Fever Chest pain May be bacterial or viral Tuberculosis: deadly infection Bloody cough Chest pain fever Malaria: often caused by a bacteria-carrying mosquito Anemic (weakening of red blood cells) symptoms Fever
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Source of Disease Lack of sanitation in camps Decomposing food/garbage Contaminated water supply Salmonella: bacteria in food and water Not life-threatening Can result in typhoid
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Anesthetics Chloroform: 1 st major anesthetic Administered with a cloth held over nose Slowed body process If too much used, it could put soldiers into a coma or lead to death Ether: Similar to chloroform Highly explosive Whiskey/Alcohol: Used to dull pain/relax the injured Not commonly used in surgery
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Medicine Quinine: used to reduce fever; prevent organ failure Morphine: Painkiller, administered orally or as a shot Opium: Oral painkiller Highly addictive Iodine began to be used to clean wounds Only used in extreme cases
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Civil War Hospital Originally tents towards rear of battlefield Later houses, barns, churches, schools used Patients lay on straw/hay Little concern for sanitation
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North South ~11,000 doctors Slightly better trained and equipped Used chloroform more frequently ~3,000 doctors Less training Blockade resulted in poor level of supply Less likely to prescribe medicine Used more ether Medical comparison
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Amputations 175,000 injuries to federal troops in limbs, 30,000 amputations Usually treated wounds to limbs first 70%-80% of wounds were to the arm and leg If performed within 24hrs, success rate of 50% Gangrene: rotting of flesh due to poor blood flow Very common after surgery
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