Civil War Surgeon - A Multimedia Exploration

Background photographs are courtesy of the National Library of Medicine; All other images are ©Bruce Evans, 2005. Reproduction for any purpose is not allowed.

Screenshots and Descriptions

(click on an image for a larger screenshot: the large images may load slowly!)
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The Main Screen

(Right) This is the main screen of the program, representing the inside of the tent of a Civil War Surgeon. By selecting objects in the tent, the user can explore such areas as the Surgical Set and its uses, the Medicine Chest and the use of its contents, and the classification and treatment of specific medical diseases and surgical treatment of wounds and their complications. The contents of the portable Pocket tool set and Field Medical kit are also available for inspection. In addition, information on the training, organization, and duties of the medical personnel in the field and in Hospital is available. Also available is information on the paperwork that harried Civil War physicians.

    The Medicine Chest

(Left) The Regimental Medicine Chest, or Medical Pannier, was an 88 pound wooden box containing tin bottles of over 50 medications as well as a host of medical accessories from bandages, scales, measuring glasses, and syringes to spoons, needles and thread, ink, pens, and paper, and report books. Almost every part of the contents are available for inspection, and, when selected, for exploration with further details on how and why they were used.

Selecting a Medicine

(Right) One way of choosing medicines from the Regimental Medicine Chest to investigate is to select them from a reproduction of the label that was placed in the top of the chest to assist in locating bottles of specific medications. Here the user is selecting a medication about which to learn. Medicines can be chosen by name or selected visually from groups with common uses and applications. The theory of use of different types of medications is fully explained.

 Details About a Medicine

(Left) Once a medicine is selected, the initial screen gives a rendering of the medicine bottle and a simple discussion of the use of that medication. More detailed information is always only a click away. The variable degrees of detail available make the program useful for those of widely varying backgrounds and expertise.

Use of the Glossary

Many of the words of medicine, and especially medicine from the 19th century, are obscure for general readers. Highlighted words in the text throughout the program, when clicked with the mouse, cause a glossary window to open with a definition of the word displayed.

    Reference Material

(Left) From an information screen about a medication or surgical tool, and many of the other topics, clicking the “19th Century Description” button brings up a window with further detail. This is usually in the form of excerpts from 19th century textbooks of medical practice, surgical practice, or army regulations. The quick availability of this layer of period detail for those interested is a unique feature of this program.

Modern Commentary

(Right) The information presented in the program is either from 19th century primary sources or from the viewpoint of a physician of the time. At most points, however, a modern viewpoint on the medicine or procedure under discussion is available at the touch of the “Modern Comment” button. Here the usefulness, from a modern point of view, of one of the medicines from the Regimental Medicine Chest is being discussed. The separation of material relating to the Civil War physician’s knowledge and education and what we now know about each topic is a unique feature of this program, making it especially useful for re-enactors and living historians.

    The Pocket Tool Kit

(Left) This screen show the Pocket Tool Kit, with a physician kept on his person most of the time. A tool can be selected visually or from a list of contents for further explanation and illustration of use. All of the illustrations and animations were painstakingly produced using 3-D modeling software, lending them a unique realism.

The Surgical Kit Tray

(Right) This screen illustrates exploration of the Capital Surgical Kit. In this instance, the user I browsing the tray from the kit. When the mouse cursor is place over a tool, it is highlighted on the screen and a brief identification is displayed. If the user clicks the mouse, a screen with a more detailed presentation of the tool is displayed. The program is open-ended and non-linear; everyone’s pathway through the exploration will be different.

    An Amputation Movie

(Left) A number of animations are included to illustrate the use of several of the surgical tools. The most elaborate is an animation, illustrated here, of a leg amputation. No surgery so typifies the popular impression of civil war surgery as the amputation. Learn not only how they were performed, but why they were common and, despite the dangers of surgery in that era, why they were often life-saving. Learn about anesthesia, which, despite the myths, was almost universally available and used for surgeries and painful examinations.

Bullet Extrator in Use

(Right) For a number of the surgical tools available for inspection, such as this bullet extractor, a brief 3-D animation or an illustration is available to make the use clearer, as well as more graphic. As in other areas, buttons are at hand from bringing up detailed information from 19th century medical references of, if desired, a modern comment on the tool and its use.

    Surgical Treatments

(Left) In addition to the descriptions of the theory and use of each of the medications and tools as mentioned above, there is available within the program information on disease treatment. This consists of summaries of the theory and practice of treating the most common or feared specific medical diseases, surgical approaches to wounds of various body parts, and the treatment of specific complications. This screen illustrates the selection of surgical treatments and complications. Making use of the power of hyperlinks, each time a medication is mentioned in a disease discussion, one click on the medication name brings up the detailed information on its use that is also accessible through the medicine chest.

Paperwork for Surgeons

(Right) Paperwork is not a modern invention. In fact, it is said the term “red tape” was born during the Civil War period, recalling the red ribbon tied around official documents. The life of the Civil War surgeon was no different, with a bewildering variety of reports due daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. The program illustrates several of the most common and important reports, and shows how they were filled out. Math mistakes were common, and unacceptable!

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