More than half of deaths during the Civil War were not the result of battle but of infections and disease. Huge armies clashed, tens of thousands were wounded, but medical personnel were not prepared for the onslaught of illness and injuries.
Bennett Place State Historic will host "Medical Practices and Procedures During the Civil War" July 16-17. The free program will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
In the 1860s, germ theory was unheard of, sanitation was unknown and the organization of medical personnel was virtually nonexistent. Faced with huge challenges, doctors and nurses for the Union and Confederates rose to the challenges and helped advance medical practices into the modern age.
Come to Bennett Place State Historic Site to learn about the tools and techniques available during the Civil War.
For additional information, please call (919) 383-4345, email bennett@ncdcr.gov or check out the website at www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com. Bennett Place is located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Rd., Durham. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.