Army Hospital Steward

Civil War-era Army NCO who functioned simultaneously as battalion pharmacist, dispensary supervisor, minor surgery practitioner, tooth-puller, leech-applier, and male-nurse supervisor.

The Story

The Hospital Steward's qualifying exam tested whether a candidate had "sufficient knowledge of cooking" alongside pharmacy and surgery — because in a Civil War field hospital, you treated wounds and fed the wounded, and the line between the two saved more lives than either alone.