Images of
Civil War Medicine A P H O T O G R A P H I C H I S T O RY Containing Numerous Previously Unpublished Photographs of Surgeons, Nurses, Hospitals, and Other Facilities Used During the Civil War
Gordon E. Dammann, DDS Alfred Jay Bollet, MD
A BOUT THE COV E R : The cover picture illustrates a little-known fact about Civil War surgery, that a group
of three consulting surgeons made the decision about whether to amputate. The consulting surgeons are seen examining a wounded soldier while another surgeon stands by holding a knife, ready to operate if necessary. Consultations such as this were required by order of Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac, beginning in the fall of 1862, in order to prevent unnecessary amputations. Later it was required throughout the Union Army and a similar procedure was adopted by Confederate armies. The picture was taken at Gettysburg. See page 170. Special discounts on bulk quantities of Demos Medical Publishing books are available to corporations, professional associations, pharmaceutical companies, health care organizations, and other qualifying groups. For details, please contact: Special Sales Department DEMOS MEDICAL PUBLISHING 386 Park Avenue South, Suite 301 New York, NY 10016 Telephone: 800-532-8663 or 212-683-0072 Fax: 212-683-0118 Email:
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Visit our website at www.demosmedpub.com © 2008 Demos Medical Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Dammann, Gordon. Images of Civil War medicine: a photographic history / Gordon E. Dammann, Alfred Jay Bollet. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-932603-39-2 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-932603-39-5 (alk. paper) 1. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Medical care—Pictorial works. 2. Medicine, Military—United States—History—19th century—Pictorial works. 3. Dammann, Gordon—Photograph collections. 4. National Museum of Civil War Medicine—Photograph collections. I. Bollet, Alfred J. II. Title. [DNLM: 1. Military Medicine—History—United States—Pictorial Works. 2. American Civil War—United States—Pictorial Works. E 621 D162i 2008] E621.D36 973.7’75—dc22 2007029463
Book design by Steven Pisano MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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CONTENTS
Preface
1
vii
Introduction: The Development of Photography and Its Application to