“At the time of the Civil War, ether or chloroform or a mixture of the two was administered by an assistant, who placed a loose cloth over the patient’s face and dripped some anesthetic onto it while the patient breathed deeply. When given this way, the initial effects are a loss of consciousness accompanied by a stage of excitement . . . . The Civil War surgeon went to work immediately, hoping to finish before the drug wore off. Although the excited patient was unaware of what was happening and felt no pain, he would be agitated, moaning or crying out, and thrashing about during the operation. He had to be held still by assistants so the surgeon could continue.” Bollet, (p. 32).

It is commonly believed that most Civil War surgeons were simply butchers, amputating arms and legs unnecessarily oftentimes. This popular misconception is partially due to movies and film depicting gross scenes of amputations performed by rogue surgeons against the screaming wishes of his patient as the doctor amputates a bleeding leg. Though grotesque scenes such as these make for good cinema, it was hardly the typical experience during the Civil War.

Dr. Alfred Bollet dispels several myths about surgery during the Civil War in his fine article (The Truth about Civil War Surgery) in the October 2004 issue of Civil War Times. Bollet explains how surgeons had other procedures they could use besides amputation, how surgery was almost always done with anesthesia, that most wounds were not just to arms and legs, and that not every surgeon had the authority to amputate.

To be sure, there were some isolated incidences of surgery done without anesthesia (for example at Iuka, Mississippi on September 17, 1862) and/or cases where an amputation was not necessary. But medical scholars and historians attest that the surgical care provided by doctors to soldiers during the Civil War was very good for its time. This is all the more remarkable when we realize that little was known about germs, and the spread of infection, and drugs were nearly non-existent in the 1860s. Perhaps a major reason why it was commonly believed, especially by soldiers, is because of how little soldiers knew about anesthesia back then. Bollet writes:

“At the time of the Civil War, ether or chloroform or a mixture of the two was administered by an assistant, who placed a loose cloth over the patient’s face and dripped some anesthetic onto it while the patient breathed deeply. When given this way, the initial effects are a loss of consciousness accompanied by a stage of excitement . . . . The Civil War surgeon went to work imediately, hoping to finish before the drug wore off. Although the excited patient was unaware of what was happening and felt no pain, he would be agitated, moaning or crying out, and thrashing about during the operation. He had to be held still by assistants so the surgeon could continue.” Bollet, (p. 32).

Most amputations performed during the Civil War were necessary to save the life of the soldier. Wounds caused by bullets and artillery normally shattered the bone. The only recourse for most soldiers, if they wanted to live, would be to have the shattered bone or limb removed. The closer the amputation occurred to the trunk of the soldier the more likely it was for a soldier to not survive the operation. The fatality rate for soldiers who received an amputation was around 25% overall. Those who did die after amputation often did so because of infection, complications or because the wound was too severe to be able to survive.

Recommended reads:

Civil War Medicine: Triumphs and Challenges. Alfred J. Bollet.

Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care during the American Civil War. Frank R. Freemon. ]]> http://bloggingot.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/i-made-a-splint/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:08:00 +0000 aishel http://bloggingot.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/i-made-a-splint/ I made my first splint independently last week. I've made lots of splints in my time, especially footplates (to prevent foot drop), but every time I ever made a splint before, I had a clinical instructor or someone else right there to help me out. This splint I did all by myself. And I did a really good job, too :) It was a relatively simple splint, a knee extension splint for a below knee amputee (BKA), but I'm happy that I was able to do is all by my lonesome self.

24-7PressRelease/ - TEMPE, AZ, August 05, 2005 —Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine has found significant positive results and benefits from a naturopathic treatment regimen for diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes, and one in three is not even aware of it. It has been estimated that the annual economic cost of diabetes over recent years has exceeded $130 billion a year, or approximately one out of every ten health care dollars spent in the United States. Diabetes can be life-threatening, as diabetics have 4-6 times the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Other serious complications of uncontrolled diabetes can include blindness, kidney disease, liver disease, and limb amputations.

In addition, there are over 40 million people in the United States, aged approximately 40 to 75, who are in a "pre-diabetes" or "metabolic syndrome" stage. They are insulin- resistant but their blood sugar levels have not yet reached diabetic status. Some recent research suggests that even in the pre-diabetes stage long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system may be occurring.

While these statistics are dramatic, there are avenues for treatment that have shown some significant success, particularly in the area of naturopathic medicine. Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz., is one of a handful of accredited, four-year academic institutions in the United States teaching students to become naturopathic physicians. A strong emphasis has been on teaching future physicians to treat diabetes patients with complementary medical techniques as a more integrative approach to their patients overall treatment regimen.

Dr. Mona Morstein, Chair of Nutrition at SCNM and Supervising Physician at Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center, the out-patient medical clinic of the medical school has found significant results and benefits from a naturopathic treatment regimen for diabetes through a comprehensive, yet individualized course of treatment for her diabetic patients, no matter which type of diabetes they have.

Part of that treatment includes a low carbohydrate diet. A great deal of evidence-based research supports the use of such a dietary program, even though it is contrary to what the ADA suggests. Dr. Morstein also prescribes various nutrients and anti-oxidants as a result of medical studies having shown that diabetics are lacking in a number of vital nutrients. Further, the research has shown that the problematic progression of their diabetes is considerably slowed by antioxidants. Dr. Morstein uses various botanical medicines to help decrease insulin resistance and sugar cravings, which has the added benefit of aiding in weight loss. Treatment can also include diagnosing and addressing imbalances in other hormones such as cortisol and testosterone. Aerobic exercise and weight lifting are necessary for the patient to regularly engage in and, if need be, stress relaxation and counseling become part of the overall regimen.

The naturopathic treatment regimen has shown other significant benefits, with the reduction and oftentimes elimination of oral hypoglycemics and blood pressure medicines as patients become healthier. For those Type I diabetics that require insulin, a unique way of prescribing the insulin is prescribed which enables the blood sugar levels to be very tightly controlled without causing frightening low blood sugar episodes.

Success has also been demonstrated in lowering patients hemoglobin A1C levels.
Medical studies have proven that lower A1C numbers significantly decrease the risk of diabetics, developing cardiovascular disease, and eye, kidney and nerve damage. Dr. Morstein remarks, "It's very rewarding working with people with diabetes and see them able to reduce or remove some of their medications, and significantly lower their A1Cs. They're very pleased and I know I've helped them lower their risk for developing diabetic complications in the future."

Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center is conducting leading edge efforts and work in the treatment of diabetes and the results are healthier, leaner patients who taking less medications and having more positive health outlooks for the future.

About Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences
Located in Tempe, Ariz., and founded in 1993, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences is an accredited higher learning institution. It offers a four-year medical program that trains students to become primary care physicians. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the body's innate ability to self-heal. It draws on a rich history of natural, non-toxic therapies in combination with current medical advances. The scope of practice includes all aspects of family and primary care using integrative and complementary treatment modalities such as acupuncture, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, manipulation and pharmacology. For more information, visit http://www.scnm.edu.