![]() First came epidemics of the childhood diseases of chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough, and, especially, measles. ![]() The hygiene of the camps was poor, especially at the beginning of the war when men who had seldom been far from home were brought together for training with thousands of strangers. Main article: Union (American Civil War) § Medical conditions The work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War brought the deplorable situation of military hospitals to the public attention, although reforms were often slow in coming. The advent of railroads, industrial production, and canned food allowed for much larger armies, and the Minié ball rifle brought about much higher casualty rates. Musket fire, well known for its inaccuracy, kept casualty rates lower than they might have been. From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division, Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs Background īefore the Civil War, armies tended to be small, largely because of the logistics of supply and training. Unidentified officer in the Confederate Medical Corps. While the typical soldier was at risk of being hit by rifle or artillery fire, he faced an even greater risk of dying from disease. ![]() No antibiotics were available, and minor wounds could easily become infected, and hence fatal. It was a time before antiseptics, and a time when there was no attempt to maintain sterility during surgery. Doctors did not understand infection, and did little to prevent it. The state of medical knowledge at the time of the Civil War was extremely primitive.
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