Minie bullets during the civil war were very popular and were mostly used by many soldiers because it was believed that it was a faster method because of its size. It was easier to put down the barrel of a rifled long gun which meant that they would be able to kill their enemy faster. About 620,000 soldiers died from combat, accident, starvation, and diseases during the civil war. And in fact, no other American war has been able to surpass that number of deaths. During this historical novel, The Killer Angels, there were many injuries and illnesses that were taken care of in a very different way from how we would take care of them today. During the Battle Of Gettysburg they had many casualties and fatalities due to their unhygienic way to cure. For example, amputations. Their only source of cleaning the knife (that was most likely used previously on a different patient that was probably bleeding out) was cold water and if they were lucky enough a sponge. Often when the surgeon’s tool would fall on the floor, they would just dip it in bloody water. They were unaware of all the bacteria that…show more content… Amputations were often held in crowded spaces where you would see and hear wounded soldiers crying and screaming in pain. This form of surgery was the main reason to why surgeons were held accountable to the names such as “cold hearted” and “unsympathetic.” Surgery was done with a tool known as a Sawbone. It had sharp edges and was rusty and almost always had blood dripping. Soldiers had to be held down while in surgery and sharp edges of the bones were filed down. Surgeons also operated in old blood-stained and often pus-stained coats which nowadays is considered inhumane and unsanitary. Today the most common form of surgery is Limb amputations. Doctors operate with a tool called oscillating saw. We suffer less during amputations because we have a form of anesthesia now, unlike during the 19th
