Treating War's Wounds: Innovations in Medicine from the Civil War

6th floor RCP, near elevator G

Treating War's Wounds:
Innovations in Medicine from the Civil War

In many ways, the American Civil War pushed the boundary of what was technologically and socially possible during the latter part of the 19th Century. For example, the hypodermic syringe and needle had not been in wide use, and the formal inclusion of African Americans and women in war-time activities was uncommon in this country. A time of conflict and struggle, it was also a time of innovation and change.

This exhibit seeks to describe the scope and magnitude of medical burden the Civil War Surgeon faced, and to capture a sense of how he and others responded to such a need. Novel modes of treatment for battlefield wounds, widespread use of anesthetics, recruitment of female caregivers and a movement toward improved sanitation were among these responses.