[laughter] [applause] announcer: up next on "american history tv," author and historian shauna devine book, (202) 748-8000 for -- "learning from the wounded.". she argues that medicine in the united states was antiquated and unprepared for the civil war. but during the conflict, union army physicians adopted new practices for the study and treatment of wounds and diseases. it is about 35 minutes. >> on behalf of the 2015 tom watson brown award committee, on which i serve, jim houston at oklahoma state, and the man himself, fat brown -- thad brown, we are pleased to report that we selected this year's winner, no surprise to anyone here at this point, shauna devine,

pleased to report that we selected this year's winner, no surprise to anyone here at this point, shauna devine, "learning from the wounded: the civil war and the rise of american medical science ." dr. divine has produced a book that challenges many if not all of our assumptions of the state of medical practice during the war. "learning from the wounded" draws on close readings of reports from union army physicians and surgery -- surgeons. despite considerable limitations in antebellum american medical training, these doctors rose to the challenges before them and made the most of this unprecedented opportunity to study and report not only new methods of treatment, but new findings on disease, healing, and human anatomy itself. the were allowed physicians to elevate their knowledge, skills, and methods to those of vastly superior european standards. constructed from a vast array of previously untapped source material, divine's study is breathtaking in scope and is as ambitious and compelling and original as anything in the pool. informed by the author's on scientific medical training -- scient

to report that out of 60 books submitted this year, no surprise to anyone here at this point, shauna devine's "learning from the wounded -- the civil war and the rise of american medical science," published by u.n.c. press. dr. devine has produced a book that challenges many of not most of our assumptions about the state of medicine in the civil war. "learning from the wounded" draws on close readings of reports issued by hundreds of army and union physicians and -- who treated the wounded and dissected the dead. these doctors rose to the challenges before them and made the most of this unprecedented opportunity to study and report not only on new methods of treat bement but also new findings on the nature of disease, healing, indeed on human anatomy itself. in the process the war allowed hysicians to elevate their skills, knowledge and methods to the level of europeans. devine's study is "breathtaking in spoke -- scope" be according to one of the committee members. informed by the author's own scientific medical training and scientific and medical training her book is not only a major contri