To Bind Up the Wounds; Catholic Sister Nurses in the U.S. Civil War
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1999. First LSU Press edition [stated]. First printing thus [stated]. Trade paperback. x, [2], 178, [2] pages. Illustrations. Acknowledgments. Photo Essay. 6 Chapters. Conclusion. Notes. Selected Bibliography. Index. Originally published by Greenwood Press, Inc. in 1989. Sister Mary Denis Maher is chair of the English department at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. She is a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and also serves as archivist for the community. She is an experienced Archivist with a demonstrated history of working in the religious institutions industry. Skilled in Journalism, Archival Management, Community Outreach, Editing, and Volunteer Management. Strong education professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in American/United States Studies/Civilization from Case Western Reserve University. The contributions of more than six hundred Catholic nuns to the care of Confederate and Union sick and wounded made a critical impact upon nineteenth-century America. Not only did thousands of soldiers directly benefit from the religious sisters' ministrations, but both professional nursing and Catholics' acceptance within mainstream society advanced significantly as a result. In To Bind Up the Wounds, Sister Mary Denis Maher writes this heretofore neglected Civil War chapter in rich detail, telling a riveting story shot with suspicion and prejudice, suffering and self-sacrifice, ingenuity, beneficence, and gratitude. This book is the first to focus on the work of nearly 600 sisters from 12 different Catholic orders who nursed wounded and sick Union and Confederate soldiers between 1860 and 1865. Drawing on archival sources and the personal papers of the women who participated, Maher gives a detailed account of their experiences: how they were called into service, where they served, what duties they performed, how they looked on their mission, and how they were viewed by those who worked with them. Through service on the battlefield, in hospitals, and on transport boats, the sisters became known for their dedication and practical skills. Maher begins with a discussion of Catholic sisters in mid-nineteenth century America and the development of Catholic nursing during that period. While other women were prohibited by custom from nursing outside the home, Catholic sisters had established the practice of caring for the sick in the community and providing nursing care during epidemics and other public crises. During the Civil War, their assistance was sought by Union and Confederate governmental, military, and medical authorities. Through service on the battlefield, in hospitals, and on transport boats, the sisters became known for their dedication and practical skills. Maher examines the impact of their work in both modifying negative pre-Civil War attitudes towards Catholics and sisters and in paving the way for the development of a nursing profession outside the Catholic orders. Basing her study on letters, journals, and memoirs containing the sisters' personal accounts of their experiences, Civil War histories, and official medical and surgical records, Maher offers a richly detailed picture of a little-known aspect of U.S. history. Of particular interest for schools of nursing, Catholic educational institutions, and history courses concerning women's studies, the Civil War period, religion, and Catholicism. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Catholic Nuns, Nursing, Medical Care, Female Nurses, Sexism, Civil War, Kate Cumming, Daughters of Charity, Dorothea Dix, Sisters of Mercy, Military Hospitals, Military Medicine
ISBN: 0807124397
[Book #82008]
Price: $50.00