Title: Spear, John H.

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), 365.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the facegunshot wounds of the facegunshot fractures of the facial bonesfractures involving upper and lower maxillæfractures of both the upper and lower jawsdisability total and permanent

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e18196

TEI/XML: med.d1e18196.xml


CASE.—Private John H. Spear, Co. H, 29th Massachusetts Volunteers, aged 32 years, was wounded before Petersburg, Virginia, July 29th, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which perforated and broke the nasal process of the upper jaw on the left side, passed obliquely downward, and emerged near the right angle of the mouth, fracturing, in its course, the superior maxilla and hard palate, and base of the lower jaw. He was taken to the hospital of the 1st division, Ninth Corps, where the front of the superior maxilla and a portion of the hard palate were excised, and simple dressings applied to the wound. On August 1st, he was admitted to Harewood Hospital, Washington, whence, on October 22d, 1864, he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. In February, 1865, he was furnished with an artificial jaw, at which time the wound had healed. He is a pensioner. The fissure through the roof of the mouth causes great inconvenience in deglutition; fluids are thrown through the nose. His disability is rated total and permanent.