1. The Civil War Doctor’s Kit
By: Justin Fernander

2. Kit Contents Knives Trepanning Scalpel Amputation Saw
Gouging Bone Chisel
Bone Holding forceps
Bandage or tissue Scissors
Bandages
Needles and sutures (stitches)

3. Kit Usages Knives were used for cutting the flesh
Amuptation saws were used for cutting off injured limbs
Scalpels were used to cut through tissue and open up the body
Gouging Bone chisels were used to scrape and chip away the bone
Bone Holding Forceps helped to hold the bone during bullet removal
Bandages were used for wrapping the wound
Scissors were used for cutting tissue and cutting bandages
Needles and sutures were used for closing the wound

4. Example of a Civil War Doctors Kit
Picture retrieved from

5. More Doctors Kit Contents
These forceps were used for bullet removal and to hold the tissue during surgery. Pictures retrieved from

6. Types of Medical Transportation
Transportation was used to carry wounded soldiers out of the war.
There were many different types of transportation throughout the war.
Some types were needed for long travel and some for short travel
Transportation was important for a surgeon to be able to save lives.

7. Civil War Medical Transportation
The “Howard” Ambulance Wagon
The “Coolidge” Ambulance Wagon

8. Uses of Anesthetic
Anesthetics were used to put wounded soldiers to sleep during different types of surgery.
One type was a drug called chloroform. Chloroform had the smallest risk of side effects. It was given by putting a container with two blow holes up the patients nose and breathed into the lungs. This was the most common type of drug used.
Another form of anesthetic was ether. Ether was given through an ether cone and inhaled or by placing a cloth covered in ether, over the patients mouth and inhaled. The first recorded use of Ether was in 1846.
Alcohol was often given to the patient to help prevent shock. Sometimes the Doctor also drank alcohol before doing surgery to help him keep from shaking.

9. Anesthetics
Pictures retrieved from

10. Types of Illnesses Treated
Measles
Gangrene (rotting of the flesh)
Typhoid Fever (all fevers were also called camp fever)
Tuberculosis
Diarrhea (995 out of 1000 got chronic diarrhea)
Pneumonia
Bullet Wounds
Infections from injuries
25% of all soldiers suffered from salmonella poison
Amputations were done for hours at a time. Often it was dirty and the same unclean instruments were used on every soldier. There were large piles of amputated arms and legs. This may be hard to believe, but 75% of soldiers survived an amputation.

11. Resources Museum Research – Civilwarmed.org/ http://www.pastview.com