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The Backwash of War / The Human Wreckage of the Battlefield as Witnessed by an American Hospital Nurse cover

The Backwash of War / The Human Wreckage of the Battlefield as Witnessed by an American Hospital Nurse

By Ellen N. La Motte
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History - Modern (1750+)History - Warfare

About This Book

A sequence of candid sketches by an American field-hospital nurse depicting the physical and moral aftermath of modern warfare. Through surgical scenes, bedside nursing, and encounters with wounded soldiers, civilians, and overwhelmed staff, the narrator records wounds, illness, suicide attempts, bureaucratic choices, and the slow rhythms of hospital life. Vignettes contrast courage and despair, expose waste, dehumanization, and psychological trauma, and reflect on how prolonged conflict churns ordinary lives into a backwash of suffering and social dislocation. Medical detail and moral observation combine to portray war's lingering human wreckage.

About the Author

La Motte, Ellen N. portrait

Ellen N. La Motte

Ellen N. La Motte was an American author and nurse known for her poignant writings that often reflect her experiences in war and healthcare. Her notable work, "The Backwash of War," provides a harrowing account of the human cost of conflict as witnessed through her role as a hospital nurse during World War I. La Motte's literary contributions also include "Civilization: Tales of the Orient" and "Peking Dust," which explore themes of culture and society in the East. Additionally, she wrote extensively on public health issues, as seen in her handbook for tuberculosis nurses, emphasizing the importance of healthcare education and practical training.

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