Jena's Science Report

Diseases and Cures

During the Civil War people experienced diseases they never heard of. Because of this, surgeons learned and performed new operations. Over 110,000 union and 94,000 confederate soldiers died from battle wounds. The dreaded minie-ball (a type of ammunition used) was the most destructive ammunition ever known of at that time. Any bone that it came in contact with would shatter to pieces instantly, leaving little to no chance of healing. A hit anywhere else, such as the stomach, was almost always fatal. Bullets were also a major killer. Bullets were usually dirty, filled with germs, and sometimes bloody. Therefore, wherever it hit would usually become infected. In order to cure a gun wound, an untrained surgeon would examine the man, give him liquor to prevent shock, then stuff the wound with lint to stop the bleeding. The man was then sent to a better trained surgeon. When he was put on the operating table, probing fingers would pry the bullet out. Any bone particles or ligaments taken out were replaced with moist lint or raw cotton.Three to five days after "surgery", doctors kept an eye out for infection. If they noticed any pus building up on the wound, they figured it was healing, when actually it may have led to the soldier's death. If an infection became severe, amputation was performed. Doctors thought, in order to save as many people as possible, that amputees should be taken care of first. People who they thought had little chance of living were left for last. Men with abdominal injury's usually bled to death since they weren't cared for soon enough. People who needed any limbs cut off were usually given morphine or chloroform to reduce the pain. Opium Pills were also dusted into the wound. However, doctors knew nothing about addiction and soon many soldier became addicted on these pills. Battle wounds weren't the only cause of infection though. Back in the "Medical Middle-Ages" (as they called the 1860's) surgeons didn't know how to sterilize their equipment. And due to the shortage of water, surgeons often went for days without washing their hands or equipment. They rarely ever got a chance to wash their clothing, which may have been blood and pus stained. And the operating rooms were very poorly taken care for. There were many other factors of death as well. In fact, 3/5 of soldiers were killed by Typhoid Fever, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Pneumonia, and Tuberculosis. Many younger men suffered the Mumps, Measles, Chicken Pox, or a terrible cough. These diseases were mostly spread in a soldier's own camp. Their meals were mostly meat, lacking the fruits and vegetable which gave them vitamins they needed. Typhoid Fever was caught from food or water that was filled with salmonella bacteria. It was spread frequently from person to person by mesquito bites.