Civil War Medicine

Time Period
1861 to 1876
Media Type
Video
Topics
Civil War
Science & Technology
Presenter
Dr. Adrian Wheat

Staggering numbers of sick and wounded soldiers placed unprecedented demands on the practice of medicine on both sides during the Civil War. This lecture will describe the state of medical science in the 1860s and its application in Virginia during the war, mostly on the Confederate side. It will assess the complicated issue of care on the battlefield, transportation of patients to fixed general hospitals, and the role of sanitation. Dr. Adrian Wheat practiced medicine for many years as an army surgeon and helped found the Society of Civil War Surgeons. He also advised the VMHC on surgical topics for the exhibition, An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia.

This lecture was cosponsored with the Richmond National Battlefield Park.

The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Want to listen to an audio-only version of this lecture? Listen now on Soundcloud.