Introduction
At the begining of the civil war in 1861 there were only a handful of surgeons, [2]The total number of medical officers between the union and confederate army was a mere 122; with the union having five times as many as the confederates. The majority of the operations performed by these medical officers were amputations. [3] "Amputations during the Civil War accounted for seventy five percent of all operations." The amputations performed during the Civil War were viewed by many as barbaric and unsanitary. Despite popular belief that Civil War surgeons performed unnecessary and careless amputations, most amputations were necessary and saved many lives.
[2][3] Civil War Amputations. 24 Oct 2004.
