U.S. Sanitary Commission, photograph, c. 1863		Interior of an Army Hospital, photograph, 1864
Surgeons 3rd Division, 9th Corps, photograph, c. 1864		Field amputation set, medicine case, and supplies, c. 1862

During the Civil War, medical knowledge and practices were primitive at best. Thousands more men died from their wounds, infection, and disease than in battle. Directed by the U.S. Sanitary Commission, medical teams worked on the front lines and in hospitals under the most difficult conditions. Surgeons routinely performed amputations using chloroform as an anesthetic. Amputation sets usually included several knives, saws, and tourniquets to reduce hemorrhaging during surgical procedures.

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