Years of Change and Suffering: Modern Perspectives on
These essays, edited by two members of the pharmaceutical industry, serve two very important purposes. First, they dispel many of the Hollywood myths about medical care during the Civil War. Second, they provide a comprehensive analysis of subjects not previously covered in other publications. One of the more common myths is that too many amputations were performed. In reality, more soldiers might have been saved had more amputations been performed. Another myth is that medical soldiers were not on the front lines. Nothing could be further from the truth. The advent of our ambulance system to remove wounded soldiers from the battlefield and the birth of field hospitals both evolved from the destructive and protracted battles of the American Civil War and the need to have medical staff close to the front lines. A third myth is that medical professionals did not do enough to help wounded soldiers. Mid-19th century physicians were faced with an unusual situation in which technological improvements in weaponry outpaced the developments in treatment regimens. The articles in this work cover a wide range of topics describing how medical care was administered on both sides during the war. Topics include: inventions and patents, amputations, urological wounds, and the mental and physiological effects of combat on the human body. Two articles of particular interest deal with issues the Confederates had in establishing and maintaining a viable medical school and their attempt to grow their own drugs. Since the Confederate government was new, no infrastructure existed to solve these problems. Each essay stands alone and describes different aspects of Civil War medicine. However, all of them have one common thread. They underscore the fact that the Civil War was a seminal event for the medical profession. Facing overwhelming obstacles, both sides relied on creativity and whatever was available to produce expedient in-the-field solutions to the problems encountered. As a result, many of the practices used in military medicine today evolved from these innovations. This collection provides insight into the thoughts and practices of the day. Therefore, readers can better understand what it was like to not have many of the medical innovations we take for granted today. As a result, the book is an effective reference work for anyone interested in the medical profession. Considering the variety of topics discussed and the multiple authors involved, the editors did an excellent job editing this collection. The book is reasonably priced for a hardcover edition and is geared to an audience that has varying levels of knowledge. This reviewer gives it high marks for anyone having an interest in Civil War medicine. Reviewer: Richard J. Blumberg Richard J. Blumberg has a master’s degree with honors in Civil War studies. He is past president of the Houston Civil War Round Table and is a speaker for that group and the Society of Women in the Civil War. He also reviews books for the Blue and Gray Education Society.
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Illustrated, notes, appendices, bibliography, index, 182 pp., 2009, Edinborough Press,