gem
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2012
During the Civil War it wasn't understood what germs were or what role germs played in the transmission of disease. The role of germs wasn't understood till the 1880s and the first antibiotic penicillin, wasn't developed till the 1930s. At the time the "humoral theory" of medicine was prevalent with the belief that disease was caused by an imbalance in the bodies ' humours'. In this theory, humours existed as liquids within the body and were identified as blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. Treating disease involved restoring the humoral balance. More aggressive ways of trying to restore the balance including things like having the body purged with laxatives and emetics, or the having the skin blistered or bloodletting.
Here is a case report of a soldier with pneumonia and the treatment rendered.
- https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/civil-war-medicine.html
Here is a case report of a soldier with pneumonia and the treatment rendered.
- https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/civil-war-medicine.html
“A violent case in a dissipated subject. The patient stated that the day before he had a chill which was followed by fever and cough, with much pain in the side, so severe that he could scarcely breathe and did not sleep any during the night. He had violent cough with the characteristic rusty sputa [material brought up by coughing had the color of rust]; severe pain in the left side; great dyspnoea [difficulty breathing]; high fever; intense headache; pulse full, strong and frequent; skin hot and dry; face livid and anxious; respiration hurried; bowels constipated and urine scanty.
“1st day: Gave…mercurous chloride…and applied a blister over the seat of pain [an irritating substance placed on the skin caused a blister filled with fluid; the fluid thus produced was presumed to contain the noxious agent that caused the chest pain, drawing it out of the body]. 2d: Bowels well opened; the blister relieved the severe pain in the side; other symptoms unaltered. Gave brandy, eight ounces, morning, noon and night, with good nourishment. 3d: Very restless and sleepless during the night; symptoms unchanged. Gave twenty grains of sulphate of quinia [quinine, used here as a tonic, not for malaria], with half a grain of tartar emetic [antimony potassium tartrate, to induce vomiting], morning and evening; continued brandy and beef-tea. 4th: All the symptoms much improved; fever subsiding; pulse soft; skin moist; breathing easier; sputa mingled with less blood; secretion of urine copious. Diminished the quinia and tartar emetic by one-half; continued brandy and beef-tea. From this day complete convalescence was established and the patient soon recovered his strength—Surgeon Allen F. Peck, 1st N. M., Ft. Stanton, N.M., Dec. 31, 1862.”
“1st day: Gave…mercurous chloride…and applied a blister over the seat of pain [an irritating substance placed on the skin caused a blister filled with fluid; the fluid thus produced was presumed to contain the noxious agent that caused the chest pain, drawing it out of the body]. 2d: Bowels well opened; the blister relieved the severe pain in the side; other symptoms unaltered. Gave brandy, eight ounces, morning, noon and night, with good nourishment. 3d: Very restless and sleepless during the night; symptoms unchanged. Gave twenty grains of sulphate of quinia [quinine, used here as a tonic, not for malaria], with half a grain of tartar emetic [antimony potassium tartrate, to induce vomiting], morning and evening; continued brandy and beef-tea. 4th: All the symptoms much improved; fever subsiding; pulse soft; skin moist; breathing easier; sputa mingled with less blood; secretion of urine copious. Diminished the quinia and tartar emetic by one-half; continued brandy and beef-tea. From this day complete convalescence was established and the patient soon recovered his strength—Surgeon Allen F. Peck, 1st N. M., Ft. Stanton, N.M., Dec. 31, 1862.”
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