Surgeons at War: Medical Arrangements for the Treatment of the Sick and Wounded in the British Army during the late 18th and 19th Centuries

by Matthew Kaufman

Overview

Kaufman examines the training and status of British military surgeons during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Their management of the sick and wounded during the wars with France leading up to and including the Peninsular War is also described. He concludes with an analysis of the medical problems associated with the Crimean War.

Using important contemporary texts, Kaufman describes the personalities who served in the British Army Medical Department during the late 18th and 19th centuries, when diseases caused a much higher mortality than injuries sustained in battle. Many military surgeons were only poorly trained, and the management of the sick and wounded only gradually improved over this period despite significant advances in medicine, surgery, and hygene. Government spending cuts after the Peninsular War greatly depleted the medical service of the army so that by the time of the Crimean War it was unable to cope with a European-style war. Deficiencies were recognized and, in the case of the medical services, this led to the establishment of the Army Medical School in 1860. This analysis should be of particular interest to serving military medical officers and to historians and other researchers interested in the management of 18th and 19th century armies in times of peace and war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313316654
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2000
Series:	Contributions in Military Studies , #205
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

MATTHEW H. KAUFMAN is Professor of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh./e He has taught Anatomy and Embryology for more than 25 years, initially in the University of Cambridge and more recently in the University of Edinburgh. He has published a number of books and numerous papers that include a range of topics associated with the history of medicine.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
The Wars against France—1793-1815
The Regius Chair of Military Surgery at the University of Edinburgh 1806-56, and the Regius Chair of Military Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, Dublin, 1855-60
The Crimean War
Education of Medical Officers during the Post-Crimean War Period
Conclusions: The 19th Century—A Century of Conflict
Index

Editorial Reviews

Kaufman (anatomy, University of Edinburgh) details the status and standards of the medical profession in the context of numerous British military engagements. In particular the wars against France and the Crimean War are discussed, as is the education of medical officers in the post-Crimean period and the establishment of the Regius Chairs of Military Surgery at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews