Camp sanitation

[atlantis]

Sickness killed many on both sides the first year, the union seem to learn and improved camp conditions. Question did the confederates improve conditions to cut down death by disease. This was a huge loss of fighting strength as many who died had been healthy men of prime service age. Have read accounts of local company gg grandfathers unit hit heavy, measles I think, not long after deployment.

 

[debwallsmith]

Sickness killed many on both sides the first year, the union seem to learn and improved camp conditions. Question did the confederates improve conditions to cut down death by disease. This was a huge loss of fighting strength as many who died had been healthy men of prime service age. Have read accounts of local company gg grandfathers unit hit heavy, measles I think, not long after deployment.

Yellow fever and malaria were endemic. Can these diseases be blamed on unsanitary conditions? Probably not as they were problems both before and after the war. Ditto the "childhood diseases". Scurvy was common and was a result of a poor diet. Pneumonia and respiratory illnesses resulted from living in cold conditions and close quarters. However, typhoid and dysentery were definitely related to a lack of hygienic conditions.