Letterman's Failure

There was also little knowledge into how infections and viruses were spread, causing to high contamination among the injured, and lack of sterility when dealing with patients. This caused injured soldiers to have to wait for a day or longer for the ability to be seen due to the lack of physicians. It also caused for multiple surgeries to remove infections from improper sterilization. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/lifeandlimb/maimedmen.html) In the film, Cold Mountain, the main character Inman is shot in the neck. During his time in the hospital, he over hears a conversation of one of the heads of the hospital not to take too long on those that were dying, because there were more soldiers waiting outside. This is also seen in history due to the lack of trained physicians and the lack of hospitals to treat all the wounded soldiers. Also on his travel back home he encounters a woman who treats him with a salve and medicine to treat the infection that was growing in his neck, probably due to the poor conditions of the hospital setting. The lack of knowledge in the medical field, led to the inability to treat some of the common injuries. Gunshot wounds to the torso almost always meant a death sentence during the Civil War. “The huge carnage that resulted from these frontal attacks, combined with a relatively few number of poorly equipped surgeons led to

Nurses faced great danger in hospitals because they were a breeding ground for disease. They were extremely over crowded, especially after a large battle, and because of these conditions, illnesses were spread very easily. Typhoid, malaria, and dysentery were the biggest diseases. Typhoid was the worst. One of the poorer facilities was named the “Hurly Burly House.” The patients here were enlisted men. Better quarters were reserved for sick and wounded officers. Most of the hospitals had bad ventilation, no provisions for bathing, and no dead house. Some of them had decaying wood and old carpets that were not removed. Kitchens and washrooms were described as “cold, damp, dirty, and full of vile odors from wounds.” The nurses quarters were not much better. Nurses would often work from 6am to 1am. These miserable accommodations combined with overworked and under qualified staff made hospital conditions adverse to patient welfare and therefore unsuitable for either dispensing or receiving treatment. The Sanitary Commission finally investigated and recommended

The lack of space required many places to be converted into temporary triage locations. Triage is a quick way to streamline examination and get serious cases handled first. Another issue was moving bedridden patients after their surgeries because of the narrow hatchways and doorways. The amount of patients required another ship to be dispatched to accommodate the patients. The lack of supplies and the variations of injuries caused continuous problems for surgeons, especially those who were becoming extremely fatigued. A common issue was that the extent of injuries could not have been determined completely until the patient was on the operating table. For example patients who were referred to as D and B in the report took the constant attention and the former succumbed to his injuries after two hours. the latter survived after given saline, but still needed constant attention. Another example is an unnamed patient who was not examined for over forty hours, had developed large maggots in his wounds. Unlike modern operating rooms, supplies could not be set up according to procedure. Because of the time required to properly sanitize blankets, many soldiers were without one. (Darby)

The Civil War had a tremendous death toll. In fact, it had more deaths than any of the previous wars combined. At the time, it was thought that the soldiers in battle died from the wounds or amputations they received. The true cause of death came from disease. These harsh conditions were contributed by unqualified doctors and non-sterile equipment. During the Civil War, the true issue was not only the wounds received in battle but the infectious diseases that ultimately led to the soldier’s death. When this was discovered, doctors knew some action needed to take place. Hospitals and sanitation standards were improved. The Civil War contributed to an evolution of medicine and how to combat victims plagued with disease.

Those who were recruited to fight in the war often came from lower class families and many were not disappointed to go to war as there were promises of bonuses, as well board and keep (Nash et al.,2008). Sadly, many of the promises did come true and the soldiers suffered overdue payments, which lead their families to much distress. During the war, the soldiers did not have enough supplies to satisfy all of the men they had in their army, so many went without proper clothing, food, and treatment for illnesses. The war was fought in close range because of the weapons that they were using, which meant that the soldiers often became face-to-face with the individuals that they killed. Because the medical services were so underdeveloped at that time, the soldiers were often better off without seeking treatment after being wounded. Overall, the war was trying for the army men both physically and

     When Walt Whitman wrote that he believed the “real war” would never get into the books, this is the side he was talking about (Belferman 1996). Yet, it is important that we remember and recall the medical side of the conflict too, as horrible and terrifying as it was (Adams 1952). Long before doctors and people knew anything about bacteria and what caused disease was the time of Civil War medicine. Doctors during the Civil War (always referred to as “surgeons”) were incredibly unprepared. Most surgeons had as little as two years of medical school because very few pursued further education. At that time, Harvard Medical School did not even own a single stethoscope or

At the beginning of the civil war in 1861, local businesses, schools, churches, and large houses were used as medical facilities to help the injured men of duty. Washington DC was the capital of the northern states, so it was required to change it's used facilities. They ended up with heavily armed, and equipped bases with many hospitals to help soldiers. The hospitals were spread out and located inside the center of volunteer-guarded military bases. During the Civil War there was a total of three appointed Generals in charge of the district. In the picture above the hospital in Carver, Washington

U.S. Sanitary Commission was created to help the sick and the injured soldiers of the civil war. This was a group of volunteers that wanted to help our soldiers. Female nurses offered to work in the hospitals and by the time the war was over, it was common for women to become nurses. Many people thought it was not okay for women to take care of male patients.

According to U.S. Army Medical Department (2015), the congress authorized the establishment of the Army Medical Service, which today is known as the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) on July 27, 1775. The establishment of the Medical Services paved the way for the United States Army to serve the people (Soldiers and civilians) by providing medical support. Moreover, trained medical personnel to effectively treat illnesses and prevent disease as they occur throughout time. This is important because the establishment of AMEDD sets forth the standards of care for the ever growing AMEDD personnel of today. These accumulated experiences obtained from significant milestone are responsible for creating the present medical services (i.e.., Medical Corps, Nurse Corps, and Dental Corps) that provides care to the wounded and sick. To me, AMEDD regiment serves as a backbone to my dedication to

Military medicine had not changed much in the fifty years since the American Civil War. Nurses only had salt water to rinse wounds and there was no medication to stop infections once they started.Thousands lost arms, legs, and even their lives. Overtime, doctors developed new ways to treat burns, tissue damage, and contagious diseases. Doctors soon learned how to conduct blood transfusions

Before the Letterman Plan there was no comprehensive system that existed for the care of wounded in major battles. The Letterman Plan unified all medical activities into a comprehensive system which joined separate commands into a single organization. It established a continuous chain of care to take casualties from the moment of injury to recovery in long-term hospitals. This staged evacuation and treat an system is used in modern military and civilian emergencies. The federal government created a preventive hygienic and sanitary service called the United States Sanitary Commission.

The year is 1775 and the American Colonies are at war with Great Britain for their Independence. The Continental Congress would soon sign an article into law, which would authorize the construction of the Navy of the United Colonies of North America. Article 16 of this bill stated that “A convenient place shall be set apart for sick or hurt men, to be removed with their hammocks and bedding when the surgeon shall advise the same to be necessary: and some of the crew shall be appointed to attend to and serve them and to keep the place clean. The cooper shall make buckets with covers and cradles if necessary for their use.” Little did they know that this would be the inception of the Hospital Corpsman. A military organization that would soon

Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were intended to be located in a neighboring area of the battlefield to bring vital surgery to severely injured soldiers. The MASH was to be completely portable, thoroughly staffed with surgical and medical personnel and supplied to administer conclusive, life-saving surgeries, allowing

Well, in hospitals, of course. These hospitals, makeshift and actual hospitals, are very resourceful in a way that our men fighting in the War don’t have to lay around on threadbare blankets and have very low food supply while they’re healing. Makeshift hospitals right now are made out of old churches, with volunteers to help the wounded, both men and women. They are installed with beds, and washrooms where the wounded can clean up independently or with help from the nurses or their assigned doctors. They have even installed a dietary regime to help the men heal faster! But, there are still some questionable methods as to what the hospitals do. Our readers ask, “What about the mobile hospitals?” and others, “What about the training?”. Sadly, the nurses in these hospitals aren’t really trained, especially the women. But, who says a woman needs to be trained to help men in need? Wouldn’t anyone help them in any way they can? Also, the mobile hospitals are used for transporting wounded soldiers to the nearest hospital, while doing what they can to keep the patients stable (“Civil War” (Gale)). They may not be the requested mode of transportation, but they still help our men in the best way they can. If the people of West Virginia donated resources and money, the female nurses and male nurses could get training and the mode of transportation will be updated, and work

On a daily basis, thousands of Soldiers are seen at appointments varying anywhere from surgery on better eye sight to putting a broken foot into a cast for 6 weeks to heal. Appointments can be located anywhere on or off post depending on the type of appointment or preference of the Soldier. It is every Soldier’s right to choose where they would like to receive health care services. The Army spends Billions of dollars on medical supplies, medications, the latest and newest high tech equipment, and the healthcare facilities and the healthcare providers. When a Soldier misses an appointment, the Army’s money is then wasted. Money that could have been used on something such as new trucks, weapons and equipment. With budget cuts on funds within the ranks, missing an appointment is money the Army could use elsewhere.