The Civil War acted like a battering ram on human beings; shattering both flesh and psyche of thousands of soldiers. Despite popular perception that doctors recklessly erred on the side of amputation; surgeons labored mightily to adjust to the medical quagmire of war. And as Brian Craig Miller shows in Empty Sleeves; the hospital emerged as the first arena where southerners faced the stark reality of what amputation would mean for men and women and their respective positions in southern society after the war. Thus; southern women; through nursing and benevolent care; prepared men for the challenges of returning home defeated and disabled.Still; amputation was a stark fact for many soldiers. On their return; southern amputees remained dependent on their spouses; peers; and dilapidated state governments to reconstruct their shattered manhood and meet the challenges brought on by their newfound disabilities. It was in this context that Confederate patients based their medical care decisions on how comrades; families; and society would view the empty sleeve. In this highly original and deeply researched work; Miller explores the ramifications of amputation on the Confederacy both during and after the Civil War and sheds light on how dependency and disability reshaped southern society.
#766474 in Books University of Georgia Press 2004-01-05 2004-01-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .78 x 6.00l; 1.06 #File Name: 0820323799304 pages
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Dear Master - Letters of a Slave FamilyBy BeeThis book is a peek into the history of the founding of Liberia W. Africa. Letters written by a former enslaved African who is freed from slavery in the U.S. to return to the newly established settlements in what would become Liberia of West Africa. I found it fascinating to read the triumphs and tragedies of this forgotten man and his family. Highly recommended for those interested in the history of Liberia; the American Colonialization Society; and/or the fate of this one man along with thousands of Africans who preferred the unknown challenges they would face in Africa; to the continued persecution or enslavement in the United States. Note that many who returned were freedman.
