We learned about medical education in the first room we visited and it was interesting to find out that during the Civil War era there were about 60 medical schools. One of those schools was near home in Charleston, SC. Medical practitioners back then had no knowledge of germ theory and antiseptic practices, so it's not surprising that more soldiers died of disease rather than actually being killed in battle.
Every once in a while, Becky and I run into a Civil War Museum that is not run by the National Park Service. If at all possible, we stop and take time for a tour. While sitting at lunch in Frederick, MD a couple weeks ago, we looked across the street and saw the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. I don't ever recall seeing a museum related to the war quite like this, so off we went! We were greeted by a friendly staff, paid for a couple discounted senior tickets, were given a map of the facility, and were off on a self-guided tour. We learned about medical education in the first room we visited and it was interesting to find out that during the Civil War era there were about 60 medical schools. One of those schools was near home in Charleston, SC. Medical practitioners back then had no knowledge of germ theory and antiseptic practices, so it's not surprising that more soldiers died of disease rather than actually being killed in battle. Sometimes in museums, the mannequins and exhibits are pretty cheesy, but the depiction of recruitment, camp life, evacuation of the wounded, and field hospitals was very authentic looking. Because I was allowed to take photos without using a flash, I snapped several examples of these exhibits. The lady at the desk told us that the field hospital tent that we would see is the only surviving one from the war. It had been boxed up by a physician and stored in an attic until 1988 when it was discovered! There was an amazing collection of artifacts, with everything from surgeon's instruments and medicines that traveled in field wagons, to bloody socks used as tourniquets and battlefield bugles and drums. I had no idea that the practice of embalming was used during Civil War times. It was a useful way to preserve soldiers' bodies for shipment home and it's estimated that between 10,000 and 40,000 soldiers were embalmed. Makeshift stations near battlefields, hospitals, and railroad stations were erected for the procedure. There were certainly some grizzly and gruesome aspects of the museum, but we were both glad that we took the time to add new knowledge to our love of all-things Civil War.
Elaine Lazzaro
9/11/2015 03:33:43 pm
This is a popular museum in the area. It is always a surprise to people that the majority of soldiers succumbed to disease during the Civil War. Comments are closed.
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