Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care During the American Civil WarThis study delivers its message a hundred times: the American Civil War involved suffering. The degree of suffering overwhelmed all military glory. The exhilaration of battle dissipated under the load of fever, diarrhea, maggots, blood, dysentery, pain, pus, and putrefaction. It is the story of imperfect human beings, struggling to save lives and support their armies, fighting the enemy, fighting their superiors, and fighting against strange afflictions that defied their understanding. The book offers the hypothesis that Northern medicine was superior to Southern, that medical care made a difference in the outcome of some battles and campaigns, and that the Northern military medical system played a role in the ultimate Northern victory. If this book fulfills its mission, the reader will see the same gore and smell the same putrefaction as did the doctors in blue and gray. |
Contents
Prologue | 7 |
Introduction | 13 |
American Medicine in the 1850s | 19 |
Copyright | |
23 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care During the American Civil War Frank R. Freemon Limited preview - 2001 |
Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care During the American Civil War Frank R. Freemon No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
American assistant surgeon Atlanta August authorities ball battle became buildings called campaign carried caused charge City Civil Civil War civilian command Confederate continued death Department developed diarrhea died disease doctors duty epidemic evacuated examined experience Federal field forces formed Hammond head History hospital House Jackson James John Journal July June later major malaria March McGuire measles medicine military month Moore moved naval Navy North Northern noted nurses occurred officers operation organization patients person Philadelphia physicians placed Point Potomac present Press problem quinine received regiment remained removed returned Richmond River Sanitary Commission sent served ship shows sick sick and wounded soldiers South Southern suffered supplies surgery Surgical Table taken Tennessee thought tion train treated troops U.S. Army Union army United University vessel Vicksburg Virginia Washington women wounded wounded soldiers yellow fever York