Robbie, In the American Civil War medicine had not caught up with the science of human destruction. Nineteenth century armament was accompanied on the battlefield by eighteenth century medicine. More combatants died of disease and infection than were lost as an immediate result of battle. Even many of those who died as a result of battle wounds were done to death by medical blundering and mismanagement. Dick Hudson

Somewhere I read that part of the tragedy of the CW was that it occurred right at the end of the Dark Ages of Medicine. Still, the casualty rates in the CW were statically less than the Crimean War or the Mexican War. Progress was being made! And some of the CW doctors would be leaders in the medical revolution! Take care, Bob Judy and Bob Huddleston 10643 Sperry Street Northglenn, CO 80234-3612 303.451.6276 Adco@FilmsToSee.Com -----Original Message----- From: Dick [mailto:dick214@therapist.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 12:40 PM To: IL-CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Joseph H. Call -- Co. A of the 135th Illinois Regulars Robbie, In the American Civil War medicine had not caught up with the science of human destruction. Nineteenth century armament was accompanied on the battlefield by eighteenth century medicine. More combatants died of disease and infection than were lost as an immediate result of battle. Even many of those who died as a result of battle wounds were done to death by medical blundering and mismanagement. Dick Hudson ============================== Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history learning and how-to articles on the Internet. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library