CASE 10.—Private Edward W. Gold, Co. F, 90th Pa. Vols.; age 33;
enlisted July, 1863. In November following he was hurt by a
mule in the small of the back, and passed blood per rectum
freely for two days after the injury; but at the end of two
weeks he was returned to duty. Soon after this he woke one
night chilled and wet by a leak in the roof of his quarters.
He was confined to bed for several days with loss of power
but not of sensation in his legs. Gradually power returned
and he became able to walk with aid. In February, 1864, he
had an abscess in his right hand, during the progress of
which the arm became swollen, and after the closure of the
wound made for the discharge of matter the fingers
continued flexed. At this time his legs again became weak,
and he was sent to Lincoln hospital, Washington. He was
exposed to cold in the cars for eleven hours and to a heavy
rain-shower during his conveyance in an ambulance to the
hospital. For some time after admission his condition did
not improve, but later he began to recover power over his
legs. He was transferred to Satterlee hospital,
Philadelphia, on May 3.—diagnosis: nervous
debility, and on the 31st to Turner's Lane. The records of
the latter hospital report the patient on July as having
frequent pains in the small of his back and cramps below the
knees, chiefly at night; sensation was not materially
altered, but the legs and arms were tremulous and powerless,
the right arm being in addition considerably atrophied. On August 3 it was stated that the patient was able to walk
for the first time since falling into this paralytic condition. On November 21 he was discharged because of
paralysis agitans and paraplegia.