Robert E. Denney, Civil War Medicine Care & Comfort of the Wounded. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 1995. 383 pages. Robert E. Denney chronicles the history of medical treatment during the Civil War in day-by-day accounts from 1861 to 1865 drawn from letters, reports, journals, and diaries from both sides of the conflict. Denney, a veteran of both the United States’ Marines and Army and the past president of the Civil War Round Table of Washington, D.C., writes brief explanations of the day’s historical significance before posting the first hand accounts of that day. Most of the book are the reflections of the people involved in the war such as surgeons, soldiers, nurses, or members of the Sanitary Commission. In Civil War Medicine Care & Comfort of the Wounded, Denney allows the first hand reports to be-speak the valiant struggles of those trying to save lives amidst the horrors of diseases, unsanitary conditions, lack of supplies, and inadequate transportation systems for the wounded. The armies that fought in the Civil War lost more men to disease than to combat. Not much was known about bacteria in the 1860’s. Doctors did know of the “malarial miasmas” of swamps and the “mephitic effluvia” believed to be around privies and unburied garbage. These were the most popular beliefs for the origins of disease. Civil War Medicine is a testimonial of the constant catastrophic consequences of measles, dysentery, scurvy, malaria, typhoid, typhus, and small-pox. Two out of three fatalities died from disease. Assistant Surgeon United States Army writes on June 29, 1862: Many of the wounds began to look badly; typhus symptoms rapidly developed; operative cases showed little or no disposition to heal; three or four cases of pure typhus occurred, and one half of the whole number of these men died during the month......, p.125) The creation of the United States Sanitary Commission alleviated some of the unprepared state for war by the Army Medical Department. Frederick Law Olmsted was appointed to the office of executive secretary. Olmsted was the architect and superintendent of New York’s Central Park. The United States Sanitary Commission did heed the lessons learned by the British Sanitary Commission after the fiasco of the Crimean War. The Sanitary Commission took on the responsibility to spread information about sanitation and hygiene to Armies. It was noted the Regular Army did not suffer as much disease as the volunteers and their camps were much cleaner. The Sanitary Commission published reports on the proper location and the disposal of wastes in a military camp. The book gives accounts of moving the wounded to hospitals. In the early years of the war, the wounded soldier would often have the experience of lying in a field, without water or food for hours or days. In the event the soldier was lucky enough to be discovered, he then had the pleasure of being transported over miles of rough road in an impractical cacolet or litter. The wounded were also transported by boats and on trains which was not a pleasant experience. The patients were often exposed to the elements and cramped condition. A major cause of illness in the war was the clothing and food issued to the troops. Some of the troops were outfitted with shoddy uniforms, blankets and linens. Food was a major problem. The troops were issued rations but were required to prepare their own meals. The soldier was issued beef , flour, hard bread, beans, rice, coffee, sugar, candles, and vinegar. One seasoned general even remarked, “beans kill more than bullets.” The Sanitary Commission issued pamphlets on the proper preparation of food in the field to avoid a common malady known as “death by frying pan.” Denney’s documentation of Civil War Medicine is extensive. Each day of the book has at least two entries of letters, journals, or diaries. Denney does provide a brief narrative of the day before posting the entries. The voices of the people give the book an authentic voice. The book encompasses each day of the war. This is ample reading for those interested in a daily account of the aftermath of the battles. The descriptions of the disease, filth, and loss of life depicted in gruesome detail of the war are not for the weak of heart or stomach. One flaw of the book is the confusion from so many personal accounts. Another flaw of the book is an actual lack of history despite all the first hand documentation. To understand the significance of many events, looking at another reference is often necessary. Often the impression of Civil War medicine is of crude amputations and mass death. This book shows the people involved were trying to do their best to save lives. The success of the Sanitary Commission and the United States Army Medical Department can be documented in the lessening of fatalities as compared to the Mexican War. The Mexican War death count had been seven disease deaths to every battle death. Civil War Medicine is a finely documented book. It is a must to accompany other Civil War books such as Doctors In Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War by George Worthington Adams. Back to Cry Havoc #35 Table of Contents Back to Cry Havoc List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by David W. Tschanz. 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