I'd Rather Lose an Arm than a Leg
Due to the increased power of new weapons during the Civil War, like the Minie ball and barrel rifling in guns, shattered bones and more devastating wounds were commonplace. The slow-moving Minnie ball was made of softer lead which caused expansion in the wound cavity and led to more trauma inside the body. On the battlefield, quick operations became necessary in order to stop the risk of infection and future complications. Amputations offered a relatively easy way to treat wounded soldiers. Regardless of the death by infection throughout the war, amputations saved many lives, boasting relatively low mortality rates for the time. Although the loss of a limb was detrimental to the lifestyle of the soldiers, through the use of artificial limbs, soldiers who had received amputations were able to continue living semi-normally. Roughly 75% of the surgeries performed during wartime were amputations.
This tool kit shows the various instruments used to carry out an amputation during the Civil War. It was chosen to show how primitive the tools of the time were as opposed to the developed ones we use today. This demonstrates that although the equipment used at that time was not as advanced, it was sufficient to save the amount of lives that it did, especially considering the commonly inexperienced surgeons.
This image of a Confederate surgeon's guide on amputations shows how common amputations were, even taught in a manual. This was selected in order to do away with the misconception that amputations were rare operations. Seeing this manual aids in realizing that performing amputations was a necessary part of being a surgeon, not a once in a career occurrence. If you'd like to read more, a developed study of amputation is shown here in the 61-page chapter of the medical manual used by Confederate doctors. The full text of the medical manual can be found here: http://jdc.jefferson.edu/milsurgcsa/
"The success of an operation...will more often be secured by the strict observance of these simple suggestions"
"The success of an operation...will more often be secured by the strict observance of these simple suggestions"
This picture of a man about to get his leg amputated demonstrates the unsanitary conditions of the open air and makeshift hospitals. Civil war surgeons did not have the time to properly maximize their patients' chance for survival due to the severity of the wounds. Seeing this helps to visualize just how brutal an amputation was and how rushed the operation had to be performed because of the large amount of people needing it and the threat of death by blood loss. Despite the unsanitary conditions, amputations were able to remove things like lead bullets and metal shrapnel, increasing the patient's chance of complications later.
Prosthetics evolved during the Civil War from multiple, but sophisticated joined parts to more connected and human-like materials. This picture shows the amputee with a prosthetic leg allowing him to continue his life not as a cripple , but as an able and moving man. The picture shows the applications that were capable past the amputation surgery and that lives were saved even though a limb was lost. During the Civil War, wood and steel prosthetics eventually evolved with the use of rubber. In addition, screw on additions could be made, for example a hook extension and other accessories.
This is of a quadruple amputee, meaning someone who's missing both his arms and legs. From this, we can tell that amputations were carried out not only frequently but also multiple times on a single individual, demonstrating the effectiveness of the amputations. This plays directly into the fact that amputations were quite useful given the situation at hand. This man is representative of the many who lost limbs in the war but were able to continue living despite the drastic change in lifestyle.
Fun Facts-
1. Surgeons never washed their hands after an operation, because all of the blood was assumed to be the same!
2. The most common antiseptics used at the time involved either iodine or bromine!
3. During the time of the civil war, germs were not understood. Thus, surgical instruments were “sterilized” by dipping them into used, bloody water!
4. The best doctors on the battlefield were able to carry out an amputation in less than 5 minutes!
5. Doctors on the battlefield were nicknamed “Sawbones” due to the number of amputations given every day!
6. "Surgical Fevers", the state of delirium brought on by infections after surgeries, was so serious that 87% of people who developed them never recovered!
1. Surgeons never washed their hands after an operation, because all of the blood was assumed to be the same!
2. The most common antiseptics used at the time involved either iodine or bromine!
3. During the time of the civil war, germs were not understood. Thus, surgical instruments were “sterilized” by dipping them into used, bloody water!
4. The best doctors on the battlefield were able to carry out an amputation in less than 5 minutes!
5. Doctors on the battlefield were nicknamed “Sawbones” due to the number of amputations given every day!
6. "Surgical Fevers", the state of delirium brought on by infections after surgeries, was so serious that 87% of people who developed them never recovered!
Works Cited:
Images (Top to Bottom):
-Operating Kit. 2013. Photograph. The Sentinel-RecordWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://www.hotsr.com/news/2013/06/23/gettysburg-offers-lessons-on-battlefield-4632.php>.
-Chapter IV: Amputations in General. 2006. Array. Jefferson Digital CommonsWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://jdc.jefferson.edu/milsurgcsa/6/>.
-Amputation being performed in a hospital tent, Gettysburg, July . 2010. Photograph. Wikimedia CommonsWeb. 3
Dec 2013. <http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amputation_being_performed_in_a_hospital_tent,_
Gettysburg,_July_1863.jpg>.
-Bentley’s Successful Secondary Amputatio at Hip Joint. N.d. Photograph. U.S. National Library of
MedicineWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://www.hotsr.com/news/2013/06/23/gettysburg-offers-lessons-on-battlefield-4632.php>.
-Quadruple Amputee. N.d. Photograph. Environmental GraffitiWeb. 3 Dec 2013.
<http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-amputees-american-civil-war-or-history-amputations-american-civil-war>.
Slideshow:
-Civil War Medical Tools. N.d. Graphic. CPSWeb. 4 Dec 2013.
<http://www.nps.gov/wicr/forteachers/upload/Medical-Tools-for-teachers.pdf>.
Video:
-Amputations and Artificial Limbs in the Civil War. 2009. Photograph. YoutubeWeb. 5 Dec 2013.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T5v_QbFZDU>.
Images (Top to Bottom):
-Operating Kit. 2013. Photograph. The Sentinel-RecordWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://www.hotsr.com/news/2013/06/23/gettysburg-offers-lessons-on-battlefield-4632.php>.
-Chapter IV: Amputations in General. 2006. Array. Jefferson Digital CommonsWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://jdc.jefferson.edu/milsurgcsa/6/>.
-Amputation being performed in a hospital tent, Gettysburg, July . 2010. Photograph. Wikimedia CommonsWeb. 3
Dec 2013. <http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amputation_being_performed_in_a_hospital_tent,_
Gettysburg,_July_1863.jpg>.
-Bentley’s Successful Secondary Amputatio at Hip Joint. N.d. Photograph. U.S. National Library of
MedicineWeb. 3 Dec 2013. <http://www.hotsr.com/news/2013/06/23/gettysburg-offers-lessons-on-battlefield-4632.php>.
-Quadruple Amputee. N.d. Photograph. Environmental GraffitiWeb. 3 Dec 2013.
<http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-amputees-american-civil-war-or-history-amputations-american-civil-war>.
Slideshow:
-Civil War Medical Tools. N.d. Graphic. CPSWeb. 4 Dec 2013.
<http://www.nps.gov/wicr/forteachers/upload/Medical-Tools-for-teachers.pdf>.
Video:
-Amputations and Artificial Limbs in the Civil War. 2009. Photograph. YoutubeWeb. 5 Dec 2013.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T5v_QbFZDU>.