CIVIL WAR AMPUTATIONS
During the Civil War, a soldier’s limb was amputated if there was an injury or infection that could not be treated. Since the Civil War was fought in 1860s, there was not a high standard for medical professionals and their medical background. They might have taken a few medical classes but there was no prior surgical experience; for many their first experience was on the battlefield. These physicians were finding the best course of treatment for the soldiers who were wounded in war. Many found that if amputation was done within the first twenty-four hours of injury or infection there was a higher survival rate than those who were not amputated within forty-eight hours.
Over twenty-five percent of all surgical procedures ended up in another dead soldier and seventy-five percent of the procedures were amputations. Doctors did not have any care for making sure that instruments were sterile because there was no prior knowledge of bacterial infections from surgeries, tools, or instruments. There were no antiseptics or antibacterial drugs to cure infections or wounds. Surgeons would recall operating on pus filled areas, wounds way beyond repair, and men would scream the entire procedure. There is record of chloroform and sulfuric ether being used as an anesthetic during the Civil War but there is mention that men would suffer through the amputation without being drugged.
These medical procedures would be carried out so much that the doctors during this time period were referred to as ‘sawbones’ because they would saw through soldier’s bones. These amputations lead to the discovery of the tourniquet in order to prevent mass blood loss during the surgery. The tourniquet was also useful in lessening the chance of infection in the soldier. While many medical discoveries were made, it never accounts for the piles upon piles of feet, legs, hands, arms, and other body parts that remained in piles because doctors would cut off multiple per hour. Procedures would last from two to ten minutes, there was no taking their time and making sure that the patient was in a place of comfort. Whether it was war time or not, there is a place for humanity.
Sources:
“A Civil War Surgeon's Tools.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2015/winter/poh-surgical.html.
Jenny, Jenny. “Civil War Battlefield Surgery.” EHISTORY, The Ohio State University , ehistory.osu.edu/exhibitions/cwsurgeon/cwsurgeon/amputations.
Shepard, Bob. “Anesthesia Came of Age during Civil War - School of Medicine - News.” UAB Medicine News, 12 Nov. 2013, www.uab.edu/medicine/news/latest/item/282-he-s-pretty-spunky-anesthesia-comes-of-age-during-the-civil-war.
Reilly, Robert F. “Medical and surgical care during the American Civil War, 1861-1865.” Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center) vol. 29,2 (2016): 138-42. doi:10.1080/08998280.2016.11929390
Slawson, Robert G. “The Story of the Pile of Limbs - Surgeon's Call.” National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 6 Dec. 2018, www.civilwarmed.org/surgeons-call/limbs/.
Wegner, Ansley Herring. “Amputations in the Civil War.” NCpedia, Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, NC Museum of History, www.ncpedia.org/history/cw-1900/amputations.