The Exception Not the Rule: Unanesthetized Surgery in the Civil War

Research shows that unanesthetized surgery in the Civil War was extremely rare

Join us on Friday, February 4 at 1:00 PM on Facebook for a livestream hosted by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. You can tune in by visiting facebook.com/CivilWarMed at the scheduled time.

Director of Education John Lustrea will talk with Membership and Development Coordinator Kyle Dalton about his research of Civil War surgeries on both sides that were conducted without anesthesia, and why this was a rare occurrence.

Kyle Dalton is the Membership and Development Coordinator at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. He is also a summa cum laude graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where his paper “Active and Efficient: Veterans and the Success of the United States Ambulance Corps” was awarded the Zeender Prize for best history thesis. In his spare time Kyle writes and maintains a website on the lives of common sailors in the eighteenth-century: BritishTars.com.

John Lustrea is the Director of Education and the Website Manager at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. He earned his Master’s degree in Public History from the University of South Carolina. Lustrea has previously worked at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park during the summers of 2013-2016.

Like these programs? Consider supporting our efforts by becoming a member or donating to the Museum! Your efforts ensure that we can continue sharing the story of Civil War medicine in this crucial time. In history, we can find hope amid our struggle against COVID-19.