War medicine
Of the 620,000 soldiers that died in the Civil War, two-thirds of them died from disease. Diseases like dysentery and typhoid spead quickly through camps due to the fact that they were poorly sanitized. Medical training had just come out of the 'heroic era' which was when doctors would perform dangerous practices such as bloodletting and blistering. These methods were often worse than the actual ailment that the patient had.
The constant demands of care for patients, however, drove Americans to improve conditions in war hospitals. Field and pavilion hospitals replaced makeshift ones, and nurses began keeping medical records, which allowed them to give more beneficial treatments to soldiers. Treating soldiers made people rethink health theories and they began to develop more efficient medical practices. Even though the deaths of the many soldiers took a toll on people, it helped speed up the progression of medicine and practices. As the war went on, doctors received more experience and training, as well as became more familiar with new practices. This gave way to America's modern medical practices, which are still used today. The Civil War was a huge movement in increasing medical conditions. Clara Barton was a famous figure in the medical field during the civil war. Click here for more information. |
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