Diseases During the Civil War

Diseases During the Civil War

Main Diseases

Typhoid

Pneumonia

• This disease was the second major disease during the Civil War.

• Killed 17,000 Confederates and 20,000 Union troops.

• Those who were weak were most likely to get the disease.
• For example, if you were wounded or got sick.

• 1 out of 6 people died from pneumonia.

• Disease killed the most people.

• This disease was due to the contamination of food and water.

• 1 out of 3 people who got this disease died.

• Killed 30,000 Confederates and 35,000 Union troops during the Civil War.

Tuberculosis

• Killed about a total of 14,000 people during the War.

• During the War, there was no known cure for the disease.

• Even today though, there is no cure. However, there is treatment.

• When you get this disease, you have it for life.

Measles

Cited Sources

Malaria

• Killed about 11,000 soldiers in total.

• This disease was able to spread rapidly due to people being close to each other.

• 1 out of 20 people died from the measles.

• Malaria was also widespread during the war.

• Malaria killed about a total of 30,000 soldiers.

• Around 3 million people during the War contracted the disease, but it was most often not fatal.

• Malaria was preventable and treatable due to large supply of quinine.

• "10 Surprising Civil War Facts." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 10 May 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.history.com/news/10-surprising-civil-war-facts>.
• "Civil War Diseases - Civil War, American Civil War." Civil War American Civil War. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-diseases.html>.
• "Civil War Medicine." Civil War Medicine. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war-medicine.htm>.
• Dixon, Byina. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-medicine/civil-war-medicine.html>.

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Introduction

Comparison

Throughout the Civil War, many soldiers died due to the different diseases that was going around. The reasons for the spread of the diseases was mainly due to lack of hygiene; from the stench of the bodies and also from the unsanitary and crowded camps. Also, because the lack of medicines and treatments that were low during the time. Due to the diseases and the injured soldiers, it made doctors rethink the theories on health and also the treatments for the sick and wounded.

About 2/3 of the total numbers of death in the Civil War was due to diseases and infections. Not from enemy fire

Treatment and Medicine

• This was used as an anesthetic while performing amputations and surgical procedures.
• Chloroform was used by applying the substance to a cloth and placing it over the patients nose until they are unconscious.
• Made it a lot easier for the surgeons to finish the task now that the patient was unconscious.
• Commonly the amputations were performed in about 10 minutes.

Who Was Involved in the Improvement

Chloroform

• Jonathan Letterman- Was the Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac. He helped improve the efficiency for the medical services. He helped regulate the ambulance system and with the plans to treat the wounded.
• William A. Hammond- Was a general surgeon of the Union army. He was the one to improve hygiene by organizing and designing new hospital layouts and inspection systems. He also wrote a whole book on hygiene for the army.
• Clara Barton- Is the founder of the American Red Cross. During the time, she delivered needed medical supplies and helped treat the wounded.

How it Began

What the Diseases Started/Improved

• Not like today, hygiene was not as important when it came to health care.
• As a result, there was contaminated water.
• Water contamination was from putting latrines (outhouses/toilet) near the fresh water.
• Decomposing food.
• Rotten food that were eaten to help satisfy the hunger even by a little.

• In the 19th century, advanced medicine was just about to start.
• As the diseases spread, doctors and nurses had to find a more advanced treatment that can help cure those with the disease.
• The spread of the diseases helped speed the process of advancing the medical practices.
• Doctors and nurses received training and became familiar about the procedures to prevent and treat infections, diseases surgical practices, etc.