Can we be so smug?

Yesterday evening as I was driving home, I was listening to NPR and Terry Gross was interviewing historian Ira Rutkow about his new book:

Civil Surgery: 'Bleeding Blue and Gray'

I haven't really read the book and I doubt I have the interest to read this one. One of the things that really struck me during the interview was the sheer disdain in Ira's voice as he dismissed the medical practices of 1860's. It is unarguably true that medicine was far more primitive 150 years ago and I'm sure a respected historian like Ira definitely knows what he is talking about. But are we not being unnecessarily smug and condescending if we do not see the fact that 150 years hence people will ask the same questions of our current medical practices? Maybe we should pause and think a little and maybe give people in our history credit for doing what they did under their circumstances .... just as we would like our descendants to do for us!