Civil War Surgery

From eHistory.com:

Deciding upon an amputation, the surgeon would adminster chloroform to the patient. What is portrayed in "Hollywood" and in much "modern" conception of what surgery in the War was like during the war is false; anesthesia was in common and widespread use during the war.... it would make more complicated and longer operations possible as the era of antiseptic surgery was embarked upon (but too late for the poor Civil War soldier).

You'll learn a thing or two there, but it's not for the squeamish.