Civil War Amputation Demonstration
Join me at one of Washington DC’s hidden gems – the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum – to explore the misunderstood history of surgery and the Civil War. As part of this program, you’ll see a simulated demonstration of an amputation, the most common medical procedure of the American Civil War.
In this program, you’ll uncover the gory truth about medical care during the Civil War, why more than 60,000 amputations were performed during the conflict, and watch a medical historian demonstrate surgical techniques used in the mid-19th century. You’ll examine surgical tools and experience the sights and sounds of a Civil War field hospital.
We’ll be turning the Civil War home and headquarters of nurse Clara Barton into a makeshift operating theater! In this historic 19th century boardinghouse, Clara Barton earned the reputation as the “Angel of the Battlefield” and spearheaded efforts to find missing soldiers during Reconstruction. The building was nearly torn down in the 1990s, but a ghostly tap on the shoulder led to a discovery that saved this historic structure from the wrecking
Hi. I’m Samuel Jacob, a member of the Atlas Obscura community.
I am a museum professional and historian who has worked with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine since 2013. I am currently stationed at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum. I focus on 19th century American history, with a focus on the Civil War era. In addition to my work at the Museum, I also write about Pennsylvania's Civil War experience at penncivilwar.com and the history of my native Northeastern Pennsylvania at wynninghistory.com
For questions about this experience, please contact me directly through Airbnb.
There are 10 spots available on this experience.
Guests ages 18 and up can attend.
Any experience can be canceled and fully refunded within 24 hours of purchase. See cancellation policy.
