Bleeding Blue and Gray: Civil War Surgery and the Evolution of American Medicine

by Ira Rutkow

A landmark chronicle of Civil War medicine, Bleeding Blue and Gray is a major contribution to our understanding of America’s bloodiest conflict. Indeed, eminent surgeon and medical historian Ira M. Rutkow argues that it is impossible to grasp the harsh realities of the Civil War without an awareness of the state of American medicine at the time.

At the outset of the war, the use of ether and chloroform remained crude, and they were often unavailable in the hellish conditions at the front lines. As a result, many surgical procedures were performed without anesthesia in the compromised setting of a battleground or a field hospital. This meant that “clinical concerns were often of less consequence,” writes Rutkow, “than the swiftness of the surgeon’s knife.”

Also, in the 1860s, the existence of pathogenic microorganisms was still unknown–many still blamed “malodorous gasses” for deadly outbreaks of respiratory influenza. As the great Civil War surgeon William Williams Keen wrote, “we used undisinfected instruments from undisinfected plush-lined cases, and still worse, used marine sponges which had been used in prior pus cases and had been only washed in tap water.”

Besides the substandard quality of wartime medical supplies and techniques, the combatants’ utter lack of preparation greatly impaired treatment. In 1861, the Union’s medical corps, mostly ill-qualified and poorly trained, even lacked an ambulance system. Fortunately, some of these difficulties were ameliorated by the work of numerous relief agencies, especially the United States Sanitary Commission, led by Frederick Law Olmsted, and tens of thousands of volunteers, among them Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman.

From the soldiers who endured the ravages of combat to the government officials who directed the war machine, from the good Samaritans who organized aid commissions to the nurses who cared for the wounded, Bleeding Blue and Gray presents a story of suffering, politics, character, and, ultimately, healing.

Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Medical, American History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2005

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh, nothing like curling up with a good book about battlefield medicine in the age of festering wounds and rampant infection.

[Alan]

A history of military medicine in the Civil War. Brutal and unscientific. No knowledge of the cause of most illness. Barbaric treatments and political backstabbing made the care of the Civil War injured and ill worse than it could have been, but also led to rapid advances in medical knowledge. The names of the major players have been passed on to us in the names of the major military medical facilities: Tripler, Letterman, Dorothea Dix, all names we know well.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of medical history and the grim and tragic treatment of humanity (well, maybe not a “fan”), I have read a number of books detailing the dangers of war and its impact on society. If you are looking for gore and terror, this book is deep into that side of the spectrum but it also details the creation of a proper system of military medical care.

The first US hospital ambulance system, the recorded pauses in battle to allow each side to recover their wounded and dead soldiers, and the overall respect shown to those on both sides despite being at each others throats is a testament to each belligerent.

That all being said, there were profiteering plots, people called Doctor in name only, and many shady back door political dealings that cost almost as many lives as a musket ball report.

Worth a read for those who are interested and willing to see some of the darkest times in American history and the last (thankfully) war on US soil.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Civil War medicine was primitive but the descriptions provided were eye opening. Such simple things as ambulances, clean water, toileting, and adequate food made such a difference. Being from Boston, I was surprised to learn of Frederick Law Olmstead’s leadership of the Sanitary Commission, when I only knew of him related to landscape architecture. So much unnecessary pain and loss of life due to ignorance of basic sanitation and the germ theory with communicable diseases. Great book - read it in 3 days!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book. Although told from a Northern perspective, it was fair and balanced. The author traces the history of medicine throughout four years of our greatest domestic struggle. Some of the terms used in the narrative were beyond my understanding, so I would recommend keeping a dictionary handy while reading this tome. Other than that, a very satisfying read.

[Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well-researched, well-written, authoritative, focused. And immensely boring.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of a lot of the political parts of history, and although I know politics are the what allowed or prevented progress, I fpund those portions of this book boring. There were enough engaging parts to make it worth it, though! Below are some things I learned:

[Paul]

Another good book to read if you are interested in the medicine of the 1800's. Fascinating read. Covers the Civil War era...

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, well-thought-out story; nice, well-organized original pictures. Loved it.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book on the logistics of Civil War medicine, a little rambley at some parts but overall well written.