CASE.—Corporal H. L. P——, Co. I, 1st
Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, aged 20 years, was
wounded at Petersburg, Virginia, June 17th, 1864,
by a conoidal ball, which struck the left parietal
bone at its posterior superior portion, causing,
apparently, only a wound of the scalp two inches
in length. He was conveyed to Washington, and
admitted to the Harewood Hospital on June 21st,
and thence transferred, on the 27th, to the
Satterlee Hospital, Philadelphia. He appeared to
be perfectly well, but on the morning of the 3d of
July, he was found speechless and paralyzed. An
examination revealed the cranium denuded of its
periosteum and several small pieces of lead firmly
fixed in the bone. Acting Assistant Surgeon W. F.
Atlee applied the trephine and removed a portion
of the outer table of the cranium at the seat of
injury. Some improvement in the motions of the
tongue was noticed and further proceedings were
suspended. On the following day the inner table
was trephined, revealing an oval shaped fissure
one inch in its long, and half an inch in its
short diameter, which would admit the introduction
of a finely pointed quill toothpick. The bone,
inclosedenclosed by the fissure, which was loosened and
depressed, was removed. No relief, however, was
afforded, and death occurred July 7th, from
compression of the brain. The patient had been
perfectly rational throughout the treatment. An
autopsy revealed a large abscess filled with pus
extending from the top of the left cerebral
hemisphere to its base. The pathological specimen
is No. 3635, Sect. I, A. M. M., and was
contributed by Acting Assistant Surgeon George Kerr, who reports the case.