what was the main form of anesthesia care during the civil war?
Civil War Amputations and Anesthesia. Sat, 2013-04-06 14:40 -- Jocelyn Green. Itâs impossible to write a Civil War novel about medical care in the Union army without having at least some text devoted to amputations. Hereâs some of the information that helped me as I wrote both Wedded to War and Widow of Gettysburg. Contrary to popular belief, the days of âbiting the bulletâ (or a leather strap) during an amputation were over by the time of the Civil War. Anesthesia was available in the form of chloroform and ether, even in field hospitals.