Medicine has developed so dramatically over the last century that it is difficult to imagine a world in which its many benefits did not exist. Even if humans succeed in eradicating some diseases, a look at history reminds us that there was a time when these and other diseases were rampant and good health was the exception rather than the norm. There are many comparable time periods when medicine was needed and used. With each of them, there were drastic changes in medical procedures and medical rules. Of the many different time periods in which the medicine has been used; the comparison between medical care during the American Civil War and medical care during World War I is the most interesting. How did Civil War battlefield medicine compare to World War I battlefield medicine? This is a question that cannot be answered simply, but can be broken down in terms of general hygiene of individuals, medical techniques, and general medical personnel of armies. From 1861 to 1865, our nation's deadliest conflict occurred. The American Civil War killed more Americans than in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War put together. (Ballou) Approximately 600,000 soldiers and 100,000 civilians died. Of all these victims, three-quarters died due to wound infections or infectious diseases. (Ballou) About 10 million soldiers fell ill at some point during the civil war. A major reason for this is that many men came from small towns and isolated farms. The individuals had never been exposed to the disease. This resulted in millions of soldiers becoming ill. (Morris) Of all the different diseases that manifested themselves during... half of the document... 1999): 6. History Study Center. Network. May 5, 2014.Kreiser, Christine M. "Doctor!." Military History (Lexington, VA) November 2005: 30-36. History Study Center. Network. May 5, 2014. Stepansky, Paul E. “Category Archives: Medicine in World War I.” Medicine Health and History. NpWeb. May 05, 2014.Campbell, John. "World War I: Battlefield Medicine." NCpedia home page. Np, nd Web. 05 May 2014.Dr. Charles F. Ballou, I.,II. “CIVIL WAR MEDICINE: THE CONFEDERATE SIDE.” TheWashington Post (full text pre-1997) January 23, 1996: 0. ProQuest. May 4, 2014 .Lax, Eric. "On the Medical Front; Bloody Blue and Gray Civil War Surgery and the Evolution of American Medicine Ira M. Rutkow Random House: 396 pages, $27.95." Los Angeles Times April 17, 2005: 0. ProQuest. May 4th 2014 .