Battlefield Life and Medicine
What were the types of medicine that were used during the Civil War and what was their purpose?
During the Civil War time period, studies of bacteria and better medicines weren’t as accurate as they are today but the types of medicine that were used during the Civil War were chloroform, which was used as anesthetic, morphine (opium) which was used as a pain killer, ether as another anesthetic, and potassium iodine. These all were all used to treat battle wounds from gun shots, stab wounds, and other illnesses such as small pox, malaria, measles, and pneumonia. The places they would perform amputations were at hospitals, schools, churches or any other place they could evacuate. Medicine did go through a big “trial-and-error” phase during the Civil War, with all the deaths and learning from mistakes and finding new ways to do certain procedures. But through all of this, the thought of a sterilized working space mustn’t have crossed the doctors (or patients) mind. Unfortunately, thousands died during procedures, as well as in the battlefield.
How was the life of a Union soldier different than a Confederate soldier?
There were many differences between a Union soldier and a Confederate soldier and some of them were a) the uniforms: Union soldiers wore cotton blue-on-blue clothing and they were required to keep up with their personal hygiene. As opposed to the confederated who had more of a “rugged” look with their grey-on-grey cotton outfits that were almost always homemade b) what they stood for, and c) their living conditions in the camps. Confederates had this “bum” life in camps with little food and harsh conditions that Union soldiers also shared. Another thing they both shared the aspects of needing to leave their homes to fight the war. Also, they spent their times studying battle techniques, as for when they weren’t learning about the techniques, they were trying to find ways to pass the time in the camps. These times would be spent doing their laundry; playing various types of games such as dominoes, cards, chess, dice games and also sing songs. These games were only a temporary distraction from the troubling times. Along with the battle strategies, they did countless drills, suffering from hunger or thirst in stifling heat, or immense rain storms.
Works Cited
Civil War Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war-medicine.htm>.
Civil War Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/features/medicine/cwsurgeon/introduction.cfm>.
Civil War Medicine Vocabulary. U.S. Department of Interior, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/manswar/pages/medvocab.html>.
Heiser, John, ed. Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.civilwar.com/overview/soldier-life.html>.
Life of a Soldier. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/civilwar/Life.htm>.
Civil War Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war-medicine.htm>.
Civil War Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/features/medicine/cwsurgeon/introduction.cfm>.
Civil War Medicine Vocabulary. U.S. Department of Interior, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/manswar/pages/medvocab.html>.
Heiser, John, ed. Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.civilwar.com/overview/soldier-life.html>.
Life of a Soldier. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/civilwar/Life.htm>.