# What is known about how legs were amputated

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282 "2001-04-08T22:23:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282/1 "2001-04-08T22:23:12Z")

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by doctors during the American Civil War?

What was done? did people prefer to die rather than have an amputation. How did they stop the bleeding? Was it before sterile technique? What about infections? What about pain, etc, etc?

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**Author:** ![Ned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Ned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ned)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282/2 "2001-04-08T23:14:53Z")

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I refer you to this site on civil war battlefield medicine.

[http://members.aol.com/cwsurgeon0/Amp.html](http://members.aol.com/cwsurgeon0/Amp.html)

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282/3 "2001-04-08T23:17:11Z")

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Basic procedure:

Lie dude on table  
Give him something to bite down on  
Saw of leg (yes, with a regular saw)  
Tie it off with a tornequette

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**Author:** ![Ned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Ned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ned)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-known-about-how-legs-were-amputated/61282/4 "2001-04-08T23:18:12Z")

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Here’s another short discussion that you might find interesting.

[http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7899/medicine.html](http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7899/medicine.html)