 Most men did not die on the battlefield, but in a bed due to disease.

 Union  

Battle Deaths/Wounds – 110,070 Disease – c. 250,000

 Confederacy  

Battle Deaths/Wounds – 94,000 Disease – 164,000

 When supplies were brought to the warfront, ammunition was sent first, then rations, and then medical supplies.

 Medical equipment was bulky and hard to move, so they were often inaccessible.

 Surgical instruments were used on soldier after soldier without much more than a cleaning with water.

 Anesthesia was new and so several hundred surgeries were performed with no anesthesia.

 People often did not wash their hands before treating a wound.

 At this time people did not know about the transmission of bacteria.

 Men would put dirty rags over their wounds

 In order to stop hemorrhaging doctors would pack the wound with powerful astringent or chemicals often causing more harm.

 It was expected that wounds would fester and there was no relief, no pain killers or antibiotics.

 At the outbreak of the war, the armies nurses consisted of barely trained men.

 Approximately 2000 women in the North and South volunteered as nurses.

 This was a dangerous job, but many wanted to be at the frontlines.

Clara Barton Dorthea Dix

 Private relief organization created in 1861  Believed that the government did a poor job of taking care of the health, comfort, and welfare of the soldiers, so they volunteered to help.

 Inspected cooking, clothing, and sanitation of Union soldier encampments.

 Predict what it might be like to be a wounded soldier during the Civil War. Describe the day. Include the following: How did you get hurt? What was the surgery like? What are the conditions like? Who did you meet? How do you feel? Are you scared of anything?

 Content     "The Civil War Army Surgeon and His Work." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .

"Casualties and Costs of the Civil War." Digital History. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .

"Civil War Hospitals, Surgeons, and Nurses." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .

"The Sanitary Commission To The Rescue." The American Civil War Home Page. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .

 Photos  "Harewood Hospital in Washington, D.C." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.           "Doctors examine Civil War prisoner." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. http://www.civilwarbooklady.com/images/Civil_War_Medicine.jpg

"Amputation at Civil War hospital." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. "Civil War ambulance." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/spec/exhibits/pnc_riggs/exhibit_images/Clara-Barton.jpg

http://www.franklin.ma.us/auto/upload/schools/fhs/2675-dorothea-dix.jpg

"U.S. Sanitary Commission nurses and officers." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. "U.S. Sanitary Commission quarters." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. "Battle of Gettysburg casualties." Image. National Archives. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. "Battle of the Wilderness." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.