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Double the number of Civil War soldiers died from disease as died in battle. In the 1860s doctors did not understand the cause of disease and were poorly trained in the known sciences. Because of this, soldiers caught many diseases, including the following:
There were many reasons which contributed to soldiers becoming sick. First, most did not have an adequate medical check-up before enlisting. Second, people did not have a good understanding of how disease is spread. Third, many soldiers were from rural areas where they had not been exposed to all of the germs in the Army camp, therefore, they had poor immunity to many illnesses.
The biggest reason that soldiers suffered from diseases was the living conditions in their camps. The camps were not cleaned regularly and were filled with insects, mice, and rats. The soldiers were not provided with adequate clothing and shoes and often had inadequate shelter which exposed them to wind and rain. Finally, soldiers were not given healthy food and water.
Watch the videos below. Based on what you learn about germs from the videos, explain why soldiers living conditions made them sick.
What are Germs: What are Germs ? - Major Types , Diseases, Infections ,Animation Video
How Germs Spread: How do germs spread (and why do they make us sick)? - Yannay Khaikin and Nicole Mideo
Search online for information about two of the diseases mentioned on slide 2. Answer the following questions about each disease:
Civil War Medicine: An Overview of Medicine The Ohio State University eHistory site
