During the War
During the war, medical care took a turn for the worse. People with no medical training at all cared for the wounded and ill. There were shortages of medical supplies, so much so that soldiers could not even be given anything for pain. The dead were carried out of beds and another injured soldier took his place, without washing sheets or sanitizing anything. More soldiers died of illnesses than wounds because of such unsanitary conditions.
The most common illnesses were smallpox, dysentery, and fever. The generals wanted every soldier vaccinated for smallpox for a few reasons. First, as mentioned before, conditions were unsanitary. In some cases, barns had been turned into hospitals. Also, the British used smallpox as a weapon to knock out an entire rank at almost the same time.
If a solider received a wound that required amputation of the limb, painful procedures were followed. First, the bleeding patient was bled. Next, two people, usually assistants of the surgeon, held down the soldier. The surgeon had to work fast because the soldier was awake the entire time! There was rarely ever any pain medication to use for surgeries! If available, officers could receive rum and brandy. Soldiers were offered a wood stick to bite down on. If the surgeon was experienced, the amputation could be done in less than 45 seconds. Most soldiers went into shock after the amputation, and only 35% of soldiers survived amputations. Most soldiers died of gangue green or infection of the limb that spread throughout the body.
The most common illnesses were smallpox, dysentery, and fever. The generals wanted every soldier vaccinated for smallpox for a few reasons. First, as mentioned before, conditions were unsanitary. In some cases, barns had been turned into hospitals. Also, the British used smallpox as a weapon to knock out an entire rank at almost the same time.
If a solider received a wound that required amputation of the limb, painful procedures were followed. First, the bleeding patient was bled. Next, two people, usually assistants of the surgeon, held down the soldier. The surgeon had to work fast because the soldier was awake the entire time! There was rarely ever any pain medication to use for surgeries! If available, officers could receive rum and brandy. Soldiers were offered a wood stick to bite down on. If the surgeon was experienced, the amputation could be done in less than 45 seconds. Most soldiers went into shock after the amputation, and only 35% of soldiers survived amputations. Most soldiers died of gangue green or infection of the limb that spread throughout the body.