Heart Disease During the Civil War
A total of 10,797 soldiers were discharged from the Civil War on account of heart disease, which is a substantial amount, but it is certainly not the number one cause for discharge. Believe it or not, diaherria had more discharges then heart disease with a total of 16,487. Consumption had nearly double the amount of discharges then heart disease had, with a total of 20,995. Though the graph to the left does not show every possible reason for discharge, it does give a good look at how heart disease stacked up against other conditions that led to discharge. Ultimately, John Beck's reason for discharge was certainly not out of the ordinary for a Civil War soldier, but it was not the highest of possible reasons.