The major infectious epidemic diseases of Civil War soldiers

Two thirds of the 600,000 deaths of Civil War soldiers were caused by disease. Physicians during the war kept detailed records and reports, which were tabulated, discussed in detail, and published after the war. These records include case histories, autopsy descriptions, photographs, and photomicrographs; they are the best records of the medical experiences of any of America's wars, even those in the twentieth century. Because the Civil War occurred just before the discoveries of bacteriology, these records are of particular historical interest.