Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War
July 31st – September 9th, 2023
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Soldiers at Armory Square Hospital, Washington, D.C., 1860s Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War explores the experiences of men whose lives were saved by sacrificing limbs during the war and disabled veterans in the post-war period. Over three million soldiers fought in the American Civil War. More than half a million died and almost as many were wounded. Hundreds of thousands were permanently disabled by battlefield injuries, or surgery, which saved lives by sacrificing limbs. These men remained a stark reminder of the costs of the conflict for long after the war, becoming symbols of the fractured nation.
The National Library of Medicine produced Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War, guest curated by historian and educator Manon Parry, PhD (University of Amsterdam).
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“Private George W. Lemon,” Drawings, Photographs and Lithographs Illustrating the Histories of Seven…, George A. Otis, 1867 Courtesy National Library of Medicine
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Puck magazine cover, December 1882 Courtesy National Library of Medicine
The National Library of Medicine produced this exhibition and companion website.
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