The hypodermic syringe, a lifesaving devise used by doctors but abused by junkies, was invented at the time of which war?

The modern hypodermic syringe was developed in the 1850s, with credit shared by Scottish physician Alexander Wood and French surgeon Charles Pravaz. Their crucial innovation was combining a plunger with a fine, hollow needle, allowing for the direct injection of medicine. This revolutionary device was perfected just a few years before the outbreak of the American Civil War, making the conflict its first major testing ground.

During the war, from 1861 to 1865, field surgeons used the new syringe extensively to administer morphine. For soldiers suffering from horrific battlefield injuries and undergoing amputations, injecting the painkiller directly provided much faster and more potent relief than taking it orally. The syringe quickly became an indispensable tool for managing the immense suffering in makeshift military hospitals.

This medical advancement, however, came with a tragic and unforeseen consequence. The widespread use of injectable morphine led to a massive addiction crisis among veterans after the war. So many former soldiers returned home dependent on the drug that the condition became grimly known as the "Soldier's Disease" or the "Army Disease," marking one of history's first major opioid epidemics.