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THE SURGEONS
| "The surgeon snatched his knife from between his teeth, wiped it rapidly once or twice across his blood-stained apron, and the cutting began. The operation accomplished, the surgeon would look around with a deep sigh, and then – Next!" Union General |
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Surgeon's Large amputation kit Many Civil War surgeons used a kit such as this to perform operations. At bottom, (left to right) rongeur (for smoothing out bone after amputation), bone file, foreign body probe, director (used during surgery to position scalpel blade), bullet extractor, catlin (double-edged amputation knife), amputation knives, tenaculums (used to pull out and tie off bleeding arteries), scalpels. At top (left to right), tourniquet, capital saw, hinge saw, metacarpal saw. |
In the years prior to the Civil War, modern surgery was still in its infancy. The causes of disease and infection were still largely unknown. Many times, the treatment could be as dangerous as the illness. Slashing the patient’s wrists and bleeding him or pouring burning alcohol on his chest were two treatments for pneumonia. Other "cures" included whiskey, quinine, or laudanum, a form of opium. Intestinal and stomach disorders were "cured" with calomel (a mercury compound), strychnine, castor oil, turpentine, blackberry juice, mercury, or whiskey. Snakebites were treated by applying a mixture of whiskey and black powder to the wound.
Medical training usually consisted of two years of schooling followed by a period of apprenticeship under a practicing physician. The qualifications for admission to medical school included a proof of age and the ability to pay the tuition.
The surgeons were in no way ignorant butchers though. The war placed them in situations that their training had never prepared them for. The medical professionals, like everyone else in the United States, held the belief that this was to be a 90-days war and that, "a man could drink all the blood that would be shed" in the conflict. They were simply overwhelmed by the vast medical crises the war caused. Medical knowledge simply had not advanced enough to satisfy the war’s needs.
Army regulations required at least one surgeon for each regiment. These men were poorly supplied by the military, usually bringing their own surgical tools, medicines, drugs, and other supplies from home. While the Battle of Pea Ridge was being fought , the Chief Surgeon of the Army of the Southwest was in St. Louis trying to collect additional medical supplies.
 Photo: National Archives |
"I am fully convinced that no army was ever sent into the field in such destitute condition as ours, except for the one it fought and conquered." Federal Surgeon Pea Ridge, March, 1862 |
"We found the lower floors occupied with the wounded so thick that it was difficult to step between them." William L.
Fayel Pea Ridge, March, 1862 |
During the battle, wounded men were taken to the Elkhorn Tavern and to a dozen other sites. They would receive a quick examination by one of the surgeon’s assistants to determine the extent of their wounds and the treatment necessary. If the soldier was wounded in the abdomen (gut-shot), he was placed to the side to slowly die, because such wounds were considered to be fatal. |
| If the man was wounded in the arms or legs, there was a high probability that the limb would need to be amputated. This was not due to a lack of skill on the surgeon’s part; instead, it was because the surgeon did not have the time, supplies, and facilities for the complicated surgery, and also because the large caliber weapons caused extensive damage to the limbs, shattering bones, severing arteries, and shredding muscle and flesh. | "Our men our terribly wounded and in almost every conceivable manner. It is heartrending to attempt to dress their wounds – yet that painful task has to be discharged as a duty." Dr. William
Fithian Pea Ridge, March, 1862 |
The amputation was one of the most common operations performed. The patient was given ether or chloroform, if it was available. If not, laudanum or whiskey was used as an anesthetic. A tourniquet was placed on the artery above the wound to stop the flow of blood. Several men held the patient down and the surgeon began cutting. He made several incisions, slicing through successive layers of muscle until he exposed the bone. He then used a saw to remove the limb, filed the bone smooth and removed any dirt. He next sewed the muscle together forming the stump, using silver wire and, finally, sewed the skin back together using silk surgical thread. The operation complete, the surgeon removed the tourniquet. The whole procedure had to be completed within 15 minutes, or the soldier ran a high risk of dying from shock.
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Last updated on:
October 26, 2003
Written by: Interpretation Staff
http://www.nps.gov/peri/surg
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