Civil War Amputations

TRUE or FALSE: Amputations were one of the most commonly performed procedures during the Civil War.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Many of the amputations that took place during the Civil War were due to

• injuries from the bayonet, a long, stabbing blade fixed to the front of a soldier's weapon

• injuries from cavalry accidents, when horses were startled in battle and crushed their riders beneath them

• injuries from the Minie ball, a .58 caliber bullet that ripped through flesh and bone

• injuries from diseases like typhus and yellow fever, which sent the soldier into shock and limited circulation to his arms and legs

TRUE or FALSE: The location of an amputation had little to no effect on a soldier's chance of survival.

• True

• False

The critical window for having an amputation following an injury was:

• 2 hours

• 12 hours

• 24 hours

• 48 hours

TRUE or FALSE: Most Civil War soldiers had to undergo amputations without access to anesthesia such as chloroform or ether.

• TRUE

• FALSE

A Civil War amputations was:

• a hasty process performed with the most basic tools

• an intense process that required a specialzed set of tools

Based on the video, what do you think is the most LIKELY meaning of "prosthetic?"

• a doctor who specializes in performing amputations

• a person who has had a limb amputated

• an artificial body part used to replace a limb that has been amputated

• a precision tool used in the process of amputation

TRUE or FALSE: Amputations were a life-saving surgery for many Civil War soldiers.

• TRUE

• FALSE