At the outbreak of the conflict in June of 1812, the American secretary of war was a physician. Despite this, the U.S. Army was unprepared to provide decent medical care to its troops; medical supplies were in short supply in every camp and much of the medical staff was incompetent.

During the first winter of the war, hundreds of men died from intestinal and respiratory disorders. Illnesses such as dysentery and pneumonia were mainly caused by a combination of poor hygiene, fatigue and malnutrition. Many American soldiers were further weakened by a lack of adequate clothing. Dr. James Mann, medical director of the Northern Army, reported that out of a group of 5,000 troops there were seldom more than 3,000 who were fit for duty. This situation did not improve much during the course of the war. According to statistics compiled at the end of the war, more American soldiers died from illness (8.2% of the total number) than from enemy bullets (3.2% of the total number).

Military physicians used a rudimentary selection of drugs to purge the body. For instance, cathartics, such as calomel and castor oil were used to stimulate the intestinal tract. Ipeac and other emetics were used to empty the stomach and diuretics helped to eliminate wastes via the kidneys. Another class of drugs, including Virginia snakeroot and Peruvian bark, were designed to strengthen body tissues. Severely ill patients were subjected to bleeding (an average of 12 ounces of blood was removed) and blistering. This last procedure involved raising a blister by applying an alcohol solution of Spanish flies onto the skin. The theory was that noxious substances would escape the body by seeping into the blister fluid. Finally, Laudanum (opium in an alcohol solution) was a handy panacea to relieve pain and induce sleep. Surgeons attended to battle wounds, such as broken bones, cuts and gunshot wounds. When possible, the wound was cleaned, broken bones were set, and bleeding vessels were cauterized. Shattered limbs were amputated to prevent the onset of gangrene. Many injuries were beyond the surgeons' abilities however,and chest and abdominal wounds were generally regarded as untreatable. Medical staff made the patients as comfortable as possible and then left the rest up to God.