GDG- Civil War Medical Question

[Ellen Wilds]

Hi, Ginny --

I'm currently researching medical practices for 
WW1 for a re-enactment in a couple of 
weeks.  I'll be happy to look into thermometers 
while I'm at it.  Until the digital variety 
arrived at the end of the last century, 
thermometers were fragile and filled with a 
deadly metal.  I suspect that if such existed in 
the 1860s they were probably lab equipment used 
only in established hospitals away from possible 
battle breakage.  That might also explain the low 
number on either side.  Most fever was deduced 
the old fashioned way -- a hand on the brow.

Of course, if you want to throw the scavenger 
hunt for a loop ask them to find a trocar.  They 
definitely had those in the CW.

Ellen


At 06:59 AM 9/8/2006, you wrote:
>Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
>Esteemed Members,
>
>Mary Davis and I are working on a Scavenger Hunt for our Civil War
>fundraising group we belong to.
>
>We¹re looking for a good general Civil War medical question, and someone
>suggested that we ask if there were thermometers during the Civil War, and
>how many?  Evidently they were used then, but there were only about a dozen.
>
>Does anyone know if this is true?  And, by a dozen, does that mean both
>armies had a dozen each, did only the Union army have them, or what?
>
>Is there any place I can look up this information?
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>Ginny Gage
> 
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__________________________________________________
Ellen S. Wilds
webmouse at erols.com

"Those whom heaven helps we call the sons of heaven.
They do not learn this by learning.
They do not work it by working.
They do not reason it by using reason.
To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood
  is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be
destroyed on the lathe of heaven."  Chuang Tse