The American Civil War occurred during a time when medicine was just beginning to make great strides. Contemporary doctors did not fully understand the origin of disease, the importance of hygiene, or the need for sterilized tools during surgery, but recent discoveries such as anesthesia improved the patient experience immensely.

In North Carolina, the war impacted both civilians and the medical community. Young men joined the war effort as soldiers, doctors joined the ranks to provide medical care, and women stepped up to aid with nursing. The latest exhibit from Laupus Library’s History Collections, Fighting for their Lives: Medical Practices During the American Civil War, examines how doctors and medical staff cared for the soldiers, looking specifically at surgery, disease, infection, and the role of hospitals. 

Fighting for their Lives: Medical Practices During the American Civil War will be on display in the Evelyn Fike Laupus Gallery, Fourth Floor Laupus Library from March 21 through June 3, 2018.