Medical Practices Mexican War v. Civil War

Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War – HIST 405 American History – Chamberlain University

Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War

Among the challenges of the Mexican and Civil Wars was getting medical care. Those on the battlefield experience wounds and diseases. However, there was no established healthcare system or policies to manage the sick and wounded (Corbett et al., 2023). In this essay, the author discusses the medical care challenges in both wars, wound treatment, and the threat of disease. Lastly, the author evaluates the changes in medical care since the Mexican War and the American Civil War.

Medical Care Challenges During the Mexican War and the Civil War.

Medical care during the Mexican War and Civil War faced numerous challenges. Some of the leading issues were limited medical knowledge, lack of a healthcare/hospital system, and insufficient sanitation and sterilization facilities. In both wars, medicine was not as advanced as today. No established healthcare system was available to coordinate care for the injured and wounded persons.  Poor sanitation was also a problem, leading to the proliferation of disease-causing microorganisms. The germ theory for disease transmission control had not been implemented, allowing the spread of diseases in the camps (Gase, 2020). These barriers to proper medical care led to poor health outcomes among the military personnel and those in the camps.

GET A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

American Policy for Wound Treatment During the Mexican War and the American Civil War

The wounded people were treated based on the procedures and policies that prevailed during the Mexican and American Civil War. Wounds and injuries were common on the battlefield as the military personnel used crude weapons, including musket balls, edged swords, lances, and bayonets. These arms caused devastating wounds. The medical personnel treated the wounds with the supplies and technology they could access. For instance, during the Mexican War, the army had a medical field kit, with materials to relieve and cure wounds. There was the powder of the Jalapa plant used as a diuretic, silver nitrate (antiseptic), and pieces of Spanish fly to help produce blisters around the wound. These approaches would seem archaic today but helped the soldiers in the battle (National Park Service, 2020).  In the Civil War, the soldiers wounded were cared for by medical corps. The department had been formed to evacuate wounded persons and take them to hospitals for treatment. Healthcare had begun to be a system, but there was no policy to handle the casualties from the war (Manring et al., 2009).  Overall, wound treatment in both wars was limited due to a lack of resources and advancement in medical knowledge Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War – HIST 405 American History – Chamberlain University

Disease as a More Significant Threat

Disease was the biggest threat compared to the injuries in the Mexican War and the Civil War. Yellow fever, dysentery, and “vomito” were dreaded illnesses in the Mexican War. A significant percentage of the American soldiers succumbed to the disease. The poor hygiene and sanitation in the camps fueled the disease transmission (National Park Service, 2020). Likewise, more soldiers of the American Civil War died due to typhoid, diarrhea, and dysentery, based on John Chenny’s (1862) letter.  Smallpox, chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough, and fever were rampant (U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, n. d.). The inadequacies in the medical care in both battles increased the risk of diseases.

 How Military Medicine Improved Today Compared to The Mexican and Civil Wars

Military medicine has seen drastic changes since the Mexican and the Civil War.  The medical knowledge improved, especially techniques. Also, the military department started training its medical personnel to cater to the health needs of the army. The U.S. had a robust healthcare system that enabled the establishment of equipped hospitals and healthcare facilities. The government formulated policies to facilitate evacuation and triage of the army people. Today, if there was war, the casualties would have advanced medical care, and we would record fewer fatalities.

Conclusion

The Mexican and American Civil War faced multiple medical care challenges, such as limited knowledge, resources, and sanitation. Wound treatment in both wars was done using rudimentary techniques. Disease had a higher threat than injuries. Illnesses are estimated to have caused more deaths than wounds. Today, military medicine is advanced and equipped to cater to the army’s needs.

References

Corbett, P. S., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T., Vickery, P., & Waskiewicz, S. (2023, July 6). U.S. History. OpenStax, OER Commons. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history.

Gase, J. (2020). Military medicine during the civil war: A brief history of challenges and innovations. National Museum of Health and Medicine. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/index.cfm?p=media.news.article.2020.civil_war_military_medicine.

Manring, M. M., Hawk, A., Calhoun, J. H., & Andersen, R. C. (2009). Treatment of war wounds: A historical review. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 467(8), 2168-2191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-009-0738-5.

National Park Service (2020). Mexican War medicine. Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/mexican-war-medicine.htm.

U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (n. d.). Disease and medical care. U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (AHEC). Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/exhibits/CivilWarImagery/cheney_disease.cfm.

Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War – HIST 405 American History – Chamberlain University

[Please delete all instructions once you have completed this case study. Length: 2-3 double-spaced pages. Use a minimum of one (1) documented example from your US History OpenStax course text and two (2) scholarly sources from the Chamberlain Library. Remember, sources for this case study are found under the Leganto Source List. I also found a good website here on the National Museum of Civil War Medicine that includes the Mexican and Civil Wars. Add in-text citations and end references, and double-space the writing once completed. The course text has already been added to the references, but please add your additional scholarly source to the list.] Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War – HIST 405 American History – Chamberlain University

Introduction

Describe medical care challenges during the Mexican War and the Civil War.

Assess American policy regarding treating the wounded during the Mexican War versus the American Civil War. What are some similarities and differences?

Analyze how disease posed a more significant threat than the battlefield of both wars.

How has military medicine improved today compared to the Mexican and Civil Wars?

Conclusion

References

[at least one other authoritative source in alphabetical order in the list and double-check APA document formatting]

Corbett, P. S., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T., Vickery, P., & Waskiewicz, S. (2023, July 6). U.S. History. OpenStax, OER Commons. Retrieved January 2, 2024, from https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history Medical Practices Mexican War vs. Civil War – HIST 405 American History – Chamberlain University