Yandell, David Wendel

About the author

Dr. David Wendel Yandell, a Civil War-era surgeon, chronicled Kentucky's medical frontier in Pioneer Surgery in Kentucky. His memoir exposed challenges like limited anesthesia and rampant infections, yet highlighted innovations in battlefield triage. A advocate for germ theory's adoption, Yandell's work provides a gritty counterpoint to romanticized narratives of American expansion, emphasizing science's role in taming the wilderness.