Learn how STDs were a real threat to soldiers and how they were treated.
Noah Briggs representing a civilian surgeon (photo by Peter Vaselopulos)
Join us at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in the Delaplaine Randall Conference Room on February 11 at 2:00 PM for a special Valentine’s Day event, as historian and reenactor Noah Briggs discusses STDs among Civil War soldiers and what the army did to treat them.
With thousands of young men joining the army and experiencing their first time away from home, it was only natural that they would seek some “horizontal refreshment” in the many brothels which seemed to pop up around encampments. STDs were a huge health risk for soldiers. Learn how Civil War surgeons handled this problem in this fascinating lecture.
The presentation is included with admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine and FREE for NMCWM members.
Noah Briggs has been reenacting for almost thirty-five years. Twenty of those years involved extensive research into period medical practices. Mr. Briggs portrays either a military surgeon or civilian physician depending upon the historic scenario. Mr. Briggs has lectured at the reenactor seminar called Civilian Celebration in 2018 and lectured two years in a row at Reenactorfest (2011 and 2012). He has consulted on and improved museum displays for Prince William County, Virginia. He is currently a member of the Third U.S. Infantry, Company K, and the U.S. Sanitary Commission (Boston Branch). Mr. Briggs holds a Bachelor’s degree in history, with dual minors in archaeology and art.
