14. Having completed the operation, cotton is packed into the wound to help stimulate pus formation. Remember that Civil War surgeons had never seen a wound heal without pus formation, therefore they believed that "laudable pus" was part of the normal healing process. Moist bandaging is then applied to the affected limb, the patient is stimulated with ammonia salts to awaken, and he is taken to another area to begin recovery.

The patient awoke disoriented, confused, nauseated and in great pain. Hopefully there was at least a bed of straw for him to lie on and some shelter over him. Often, this was not the case. If he could walk, he could locate the "sinks" and relieve himself, otherwise he had to rely upon the kindness of others. Hopefully food and drink were available, often it was only hardtack and water.

There being no IV catheter or hypodermic needles, pain medicine was administered by mouth. Surgeons had both opium and morphine available. Although morphine is 10 times stronger than opium, most physicians of he day felt that opium was better absorbed by mouth than morphine. Therefore they used the weaker opium for pain and reserved the stonger morphine for treating diarrhea.

If the soldier was healing well and his wounds were not disabling, he would be held at a regimental hospital until he could be returned to duty. If the wounds were more massive, or if healing was not progressing well, the patient would be evacuated to the rear to a "general hospital" for convelesence.