The most devastating of all wars for the United States was the "Civil War"..1861 to 1865..Largest % of deaths ever.

[NNadir]

5. There is an interesting monograph which I happen to be reading, on medical developments in the American Civil War.

This is it: Civil War Medicine: Challenges and Triumphs by Alfred Jay Bollet. Galen Press (2002).

Dr. Bollet's contention is that although the war was horrible, during it, many advances in both treatment and logistics improved the care given to wounded soldiers and, in fact, the event led to advances in medical care in the 19th century, particularly with respect to surgery.

I've only read a little of this book thus far, but I suspect that it will go a long way to addressing many misconceptions that medical treatment of wounds was merely bungling butchery.