Sleepless vigilance: "Stonewall" Jackson and the duty hours controversy

Am J Med Sci. 2012 Feb;343(2):146-149. doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0b013e31823bbcdd.

Abstract

Confederate general "Stonewall" Jackson has been called "one of the greatest military geniuses the world ever saw." However, on critical review of his command decisions during the course of 12 of the 20 battles he fought during the American Civil War, historians have rated his performance as poor. In this investigation, the authors examined the effect of sleep deprivation on Jackson's battle decisions in light of experimental data driving current calls for limiting the duty hours of physicians.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • American Civil War
  • Attention
  • Decision Making*
  • Famous Persons
  • History, 19th Century
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Military Personnel / history
  • Physicians
  • Sleep Deprivation / etiology
  • Sleep Deprivation / history*
  • Sleep*
  • United States

Personal name as subject

  • Stonewall Jackson