The Importance Of Medical Treatments In The Killer Angels

Medical treatments have made major advances throughout the years. The way that different diseases or injuries are treated have changed a tremendous amount from the time of the Civil War. In 1863, when the Civil War took place there was very little known about all diseases and the proper way to treat injuries like gunshot wounds. In the book, The Killer Angels, it follows the viewpoints of different soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. Several of the soldiers get injured or have already existent diseases that are treated much differently from how they would in present time.

One of these soldiers was Robert E. Lee. Lee was the General of the Confederate Army. It is said that he has a heart disease that will eventually kill him (p. xvi). Back then there was very little known about heart diseases. The only known heart problems were rheumatic fever and "soldier's heart". Doctors would rely on the methods of percussion and

Armistead gets shot on the side and dies from the wound (p. 328). The way this type of gunshot wound would be treated would be to first check for any foreign item like the bullet. Then they would wash the flesh with cold water to clean it and applied a piece of lint which could be covered in cerate. Lastly the doctor would attach all the parts by applying adhesive. To assure a speedy recovery doctors would administer a stimulus like brandy, wine, and ammonia if necessary. Today a gunshot wound would be treated would be treated similarly but which better equipment and antibiotics. The doctor will check the wound and remove all the bits of the bullet and broken bone if there is any. Depending on whether the wound is open or closed the doctor will help with the dressings and antibiotics. If the bullet did not penetrate any major organs the patient will most likely survive, but due to the lacking medical help in the Civil War, Armistead died in the