Operating at Sea

[NH Civil War Gal]

This is from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine (looks scary to me!):

The struggles of a US Navy surgeon while operating on a sailor at sea Acting Assistant Surgeon Ezra Pray aboard the U.S. Bark Fernandina remembered a long and frustrating night at sea, facing the unique challenges of naval surgery:

"We are off Hatteras; and I hoped the wind would continue good so that I could get my patient into the Hospital ship before he dies; but we have the wind dead ahead, and the sea is mountain high. I control the sick man's pulse with tr. of Veratrum Viride and his pains with morphia, his wounds being kept covered with cold water dressing – often changed. I got no sleep last night and stand no chance to get any to night. But 12 is the clock, and an unhappy day is ended."

Source:
Entry for April 5, 1862, Transcript of Journal of Acting Assistant Surgeon Ezra Pray US Bark Fernandina: September 1861-April 1862.

Image credit:
Detail from sketch by C. Ellery Stedman, "The Surgeon's station in the 'Fornots' is the ward-room," US Army Heritage and Education Center Collection.

 

[John Hartwell]

Surgeon Pray's diary on YouTube:

 

[kyle.dalton]

Thanks for the shout out! I try to schedule at least one post a month on our social media that addresses naval medicine.

Detail from sketch by C. Ellery Stedman, "Setting a dislocated shoulder in a gale," USAHEC Collection.​

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I'm a member of the museum @kyle.dalton and always try to give you a shout out here! AND try to encourage other folks to become a member and support the museum and ongoing restorations.

 

[lupaglupa]

Not a pleasant thing to imagine - for the patient or the doctor!