The Influence Of Field Hospitals During The Civil War

The right to bear arms has been a favoured constitutional law since its establishment in 1791, but as more gun related violence and accidents occur, there has been increasing debate on whether or not guns should be banned in the US altogether, and if not, what regulations should be required for the purchase and handling of them. While guns should not be completely banned from the country, the rules and regulations of gun laws should be tightened. In the 2nd amendment, it clearly states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” While this statement still holds true, the evolution of firearms and how they have become more dangerous throughout the years is a clear sign of why the laws should be changed.

Hardship is an endeavor no person yearns for, and logically it’s fathomable why we’d steer away from difficulties. However, one can only value what they have when they’ve survived the unimaginable, because without hardships we’d be oblivious to the triumphs in life.

World War I was one of the most barbaric and horrendous events that impacted world history. In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich M. Remarque drives home this brutality through his main character. The theme brutality and carnage is displayed through the presence of death, violence, and the guilt the soldiers must carry within them.

Before we had cars and planes, we really only had one way of transporting goods on land, and that way was by train. Trains were all over the inhabited United States, but the North had more than anywhere else in the U.S. because they were full of industry and were constantly having to ship goods all around because of it. The North had two thirds of the railroads in the United States because of the need for transportation which was more important to the North than the South.At the start of the war 22,000 miles of track had been laid in the Northern states and 9,500 miles in the South.(Railroads of the Confederacy) But for both sides it was much needed no matter how many tracks they had. Right at the start of the war the use of the railroad was almost always military. For instance, a lot of the generals were even stationed at rail yards. The railroad was significant during the Civil War because it helped both sides transport supplies throughout the United States.

The Civil War grew to be the deadliest war in US history for numerous reasons, one reason being both sides were apart of the US at some point, and every death was an American death, unlike other wars such as the American Revolution War. Another reason why the Civil War became the deadliest war in US history is due to the unprecedented violence of battles such as Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg. Thirteen thousand troops were killed at the battle of Shiloh, About four thousand deaths happened at Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg had a total casualty count of about fifty thousand. The violence that occurred in the United States of America shocked international observers as well as the citizens of the Union and Confederacy. Another reason the Civil War grew to be so deadly had to do with the advancement of weaponry. Cone shaped bullets replaced musket balls, and smooth-bore muskets were replaced with rifles with grooved barrels. Both the North and the South were using the new and improved weaponry against each other. The Civil War became the first war in which soldiers used rifles that could fire several shots before needing to be reloaded. Many weapons were used for the first time as well, such as shrapnel, land mines, and booby traps. One of the easiest ways to heal someone in the Civil War after a serious injury was amputation. Some soldiers got diseases in their legs and arms from gunshot wounds and germs could get into the bloodstream. Doctors would then amputate the arm, or leg to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the rest of the body. Almost twenty five percent of amputees died from their surgeries. Finally, one of the last reasons the Civil War grew to be the deadliest war in US history has to do with how strongly each side believed that what they were fighting for was right. The North fought for the Union to be preserved, for their inalienable rights,

Through both of his poems, Dulce Et Decorum Est and Disabled, Owen clearly illustrates his feeling about war. Both of them convey the same meaning that war destroyed people’s lives. For Dulce Et, Decorum Est, it mainly illustrates soldier’s life during war, the dreadfulness of war, whereas, Disabled illustrates how war have damaged soldier’s life. Also, the saying that said that war it is lovely and honorable to die for your country is completely against his point of view. Owen conveys his idea through graphically describing his horrible experiences in war.

Although it was a bloody war, disease was the number one cause of death due to all the unsanitary equipment being used. Not only did the cleanness of things factor in the deaths caused by disease, but so did the knowledge of the people back then. They were not familiar with bacterial transmission, so not much was done to keep things sanitary. Luckily, today we have way better technology, knowledge and medical equipment. If it wasn’t for the Civil War and all the people who put their lives on the line, the world wouldn’t be how it is

The Civil War was America’s bloodiest war. Soldiers were not only dying from battle itself, but from the daily practices the military had in place. Medical care and response was lacking organization resulting in many preventable deaths. In 1862 this all changed with the appointment of Medical Director Jonathan Letterman, who focused on how soldiers were being treated both on and off the battlefield. Jonathan Letterman was crucial to the Union’s victory because he advanced civil war medicine and made it more accessible hence why his gravestone describes a man “who brought order and efficiency into the Medical Service and who was the originator of modern methods of medical organization in armies" (Arlington National Cemetery).

The Civil War was a vital event that occurred in America’s historical consciousness and in order to understand the medical aspect of the war, first defining exactly what the war was about is fundamental. According to Dixon, the Civil War transpired in 1861-1865 and it was essentially about the “uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states.” Significant battles occurred in Chickamauga, Shiloh in Tennessee, Fredericksburg in Virginia, and Antietam in Maryland, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and Atlanta in Georgia. Moreover, how did the Civil War impacted medicine raised important points to be considered such as the disease-causing viruses that plagued the soldiers? Also the conditions the soldiers faced while undergoing treatment. Additionally, the post-war aseptic methods the care providers employed while treating the soldiers, if any was implemented at all.

Although, not all of these fatalities were from seized from enemy fire; nearly two-thirds of the total deaths were caused by diseases that struck those who were fighting. The idea that caused so many deaths was due to the spreading of germs. Surgeons would operate on open wounds and though many were to be treated, infections were persistent during the war and would slowly kill the soldiers whom it affected. Because of the death toll from the spreading of germs and infections, the Union states in the North began transporting wounded soldiers to nearby hospitals for medical care. Soon after officials realized the medical system needed to be revamped, the ambulance corps was put in place. The Ambulance corps was established to sort soldiers in regards to the severity of their injuries, and from there, the wounded soldiers would be transported to hospitals or remain where they were based on their injuries. This corporation played a major role in deciding which soldiers were likely to recover, and for the soldiers who were unlikely to make it, the corporation would make them as comfortable as possible and keep them in field stations away from the

In what a few may consider the first modern war, the Civil War was home to thousands of injuries and deaths. The Civil War was a devastating war where the Confederates, the South, fought for the idea that slavery should stay and should not be abolished and the Union, the North, fought for the abolishment of slavery. The typical soldier that fought during the Civil War were untrained farmers who either volunteered or were forced into battle. The Confederates started the war with approximately 750,000 troops and the Union with nearly 2 million. The war took the lives of thousands of soldiers, civilians, and important figures. Towards the end, the confederates suffered 260,000 casualties and the Union suffered 360,000 casualties. In total, almost 620,000 soldiers lost their lives fighting for what they believed in. This war occurred between the years 1861 and 1865. The biggest battle during this war was the Battle of Gettysburg, a true dog fight that lasted for 3 whole days, where 51,112 troops were killed. However, battlefield medicine was performed that saved many lives including many

Even though a large number of soldiers died in battle, a greater number of soldiers died of diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, and typhoid.

I enter Elizabethtown, just across the river from Gettysburg. Gettysburg was a time bomb waiting to explode because of the closeness of the Confederate army stations circulating this place. The trauma doctors navigated throughout the whole station giving instructions, suggestions, and orders to empty hands like me. I was occupated with a lot of bleeding out soldiers and deaths were even smelled when you walked in. I helped the most I could, but my training wasn't enough to save these soldiers

Machine guns and poisonous gas were two new weapons used heavily during the war, along with the use of trench warfare. The weapons were more deadly than in previous wars, which caused the medical technology to lag behind. The medical staff was inexperienced to the new injuries caused by the modern weapons and the clinic had inadequate amounts of supplies to properly treat patients. The lack of funds used to supply the medical equipment caused many soldiers to go untreated which either amplified their injuries or caused death. For example, Kemmerich would have had a higher chance of surviving his leg amputation if there were modern medical techniques and supplies available. The nurses working the clinic removed Kemmerich from his medical bed as soon as he passed away to make room for another injured man, this situation again shows the lack of supplies and equipment to be able to help the immense amount injured troops. Soldiers that experienced extreme injuries from war had little to, no chance of survival due to the medical treatment that could be provided at the time. The smallest of battle wounds often ended in a fatality due to the inadequate medical treatment and poor living

The war is something no one wants to go through. Soldiers train to fight for their country and for their very lives. In doing so, the war isn’t a pretty place to be in. Many soldiers have returned with diseases, missing limbs, and mental trauma. After fighting the war, numerous soldiers return home injured or has contracted some type of health condition or disease. “diseases such as tuberculosis...asthma...heart conditions...trench foot...” (Brought To Life: