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WHAT INFLUENCE DID THE CIVIL WAR HAVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL CARE?
1861-1865
TREATMENTS OF DISEASE AND WOUNDS
How did the treatments used by medical professionals during the Civil War have an impact on the way we treat patients today?
The Civil War was fought before developments in treatment of germs and bacteria. Many soldiers endured diseases after operations because doctors used dirty tools, and did not secure wounds properly to prevent from becoming dirty. Many medicinal treatments were used during the war to fight different diseases. Quinine was used as a treatment for malaria, which is still used today, alongside Chloroquine to fight the infection. Ether and Chloroform were both used as an Anesthetic, both liquids. Morphine was used as a painkiller, and was prescribed by doctors to be used after surgery. We now know that so many Civil War veterans were addicted to the drug after the war, because doctors prescribed so much, that it became a necessity for some of the soldiers.
Creosote was an extremely important tool used by medical personnel. Now almost totally obscure, during the war, it was common practice for medical officers to treat soldiers from the other side. During battle, Creosote treated wounds on-site. It was distilled from wood tar , and would directly treat wounds and ulcers. This drug could also treat sinuses, hysteria, and other internal infections. Today it is used to preserve telephone poles.
Gangrene was a major killer during the war, with a mortality rate around 45%. Bromine was used at that time to treat soldiers, and is known as a live-saver today, fighting the disease. Many amputees suffered long term mental and physical issues. The Civil War was the first war in American history to use prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs. In the period after the war, the 1870's and 80's, wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs became a much more familiar site in public. Prosthetic limbs are very common today, and are used by disabled veterans and the public alike. The Civil War not only saw the development of influential drugs, but also the beginning of the use of physical treatments for wounds and illnesses.
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TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
What modern medicinal aspects trace their roots to the Civil War? What Overall Impact did the Civil War have of medicine?
Without Parallel, the American Civil War was the most important conflict in American History that contributed to the development of medicine. It witnessed new techniques of surgery, a groundbreaking ambulance system, and new types of treatments for wounds and disease. Doctors used new approaches when performing amputations, and learned lots of things about the practice after the war. Medical professionals and researchers made leaps in neurology, and some even became specialists after the war. Injuries that resulted in amputations then, lead to x-rays today. An important figure in American History emerged from the war, Clara Barton. Her contributions in the field of nursing are extraordinary. Her undying devotion for her patients, and her organization, are awed and respected today. Jonathan Letterman would be unknown today if it wasn't for his revolutionary ambulance system. His techniques and ideas eventually evolved into our civilian ambulance system. Letterman set high standards of cleanliness, and his views on triage are used today. Medicines like Morphine, Quinine, Bromine, and Chloroform were utilized during the war. All are effective treatments and are used today, with the exception of Chloroform, which is used now in making other chemicals. The Civil War saw the development of anesthesia, through chloroform.
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The Civil War and its medicine have quite a long legacy. All of these developments in medicine can trace its roots to the Civil War:
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X-rays
Establishment of Nurse Corps
MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital)
911 System
Triage
Ambulance System
Gas Masks
Typhoid Fever Vaccine
Antibiotics
Penicillin
Rabies Vaccine
Hemorrhage Control
Facial Reconstructive Surgery
Anesthesia Inhaler
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It is no secret that the Civil War had a major impact on modern medicine. I hope, that as a true American Society, we continue to treasure our past, and learn how we have developed as a nation, and how the Civil War impacted our lives in other ways, not just medicine. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is located is Frederick, Maryland. The link to the museum website is located on the bottom of each page of this website, including below. I encourage you to contact me with suggestions or feedback. My email is located at the top and bottom of each page.