Title: Burt, William

Source text: Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes, United States Army, The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861–65.), Part 1, Volume 2 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1870), 289.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the headtrephining after gunshot fractures of the skullphysical disability, discharged from servicehemiplegiahearing and eyesight very poorweaknessanemia

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e17040

TEI/XML: med.d1e17040.xml


CASE.—Private William Burt, Co. G, 2d New York Heavy Artillery, aged 30 years, was wounded near Petersburg, Virginia, June 17th, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which fractured and depressed the left parietal bone. He was admitted to the Second Corps field hospital at City Point, on June 19th, and conveyed to the Campbell Hospital, Washington, on the 28th. He was in a stupid condition, and the right arm and leg had become paralyzed. On the following day, Surgeon A. F. Sheldon, U. S. V., removed about one and a half inches square of depressed bone with the trephine. The patient rallied after the operation, and continued to improve. By the 20th of July he had regained the use of the paralyzed parts. On the 28th he was transferred to the Lovell Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island, where he remained until the 24th of August, when he was sent to the McDougall Hospital, Fort Schuyler, New York Harbor. He was discharged the service on December 15th, 1864. On August 13th, 1865, Pension Examiner E. Bradley reports that the patient's hearing and eyesight are very poor. There was partial hemiplegia of the right side, accompanied by anemia and weakness to such a degree as to incapacitate him for any manual labor. It appears that this man's health continued to deteriorate, as his pension was subsequently increased.