by Thomas Power Lowry M. D. (Author)
Amputations and dysentery dominate Civil War medical studies, but the Wounds of Venus -- syphilis and gonorrhea -- receive little attention. Most VD was treated at the regimental level but thousands of cases were considered too severe for local treatment and were transferred to hospitals. At least two hospitals treated nothing but VD, while many more had large VD patient contingents. This book is the first to explore the role of Civil War VD hospitals, with locations, dates of operation, types of cases, and treatment. The surgical approaches to VD are not for the faint-hearted. The patient rosters, with their diagnoses, combined with post-war pension information, hold great potential for answering the question: "Did Civil War VD treatments actually cure anybody?"