Lately I've been reading about medicine and sanitation during the civil war. It wasn't any better by any means.Not only were the camps disease ridden but so were the hospitals
It was at that point in time when Americans took notice that filth was not a good thing and the concurrently (well actually a little bit before) Edward Jenner, not only discovered the vaccine, but sterility in the surgical setting and clean is good.
It seems like common sense now, but they really didn't have a clue back then.