Civil War Medicine Wrapup

 

The Civil War was a huge turning point for American society. Politically, this is obvious. But its medical impact is slightly more subtle. Inspired by the surgical brutality that surrounded Civil War era medicine, people like Clara Barton and Joseph Lister revolutionized medicine and paved the way for future generations to further improve on their work. Although the Civil War had enormously high casualty rates, the American Red Cross, the antiseptic technique, and other surgical breakthroughs had its roots in the Civil War, making it a revolutionary time for the medical realm of our nation.