CASE. Corporal Thomas Powers, Co. G, 2d United
States Infantry, aged 40 years, was stabbed by a
bayonet in the hands of a refractory prisoner on
December 2d, 1862. The bayonet entered
one-half inch to the right of the median line of
the chest, immediately next to the middle of the
xiphoid cartilage, penetrated four inches in a
direction downward and outward, entering the chest
over the costal cartilages of the eighth, ninth,
and tenth ribs. On receipt of the injury there
was prostration, vomiting for two days, difficulty
of breathing, incapacity to draw a long breath,
total absence of movement of ribs of lower part of
right chest, and decubitus on injured side; no
respiration heard on lower part of right chest;
puerile respiration above and over the whole of
the left chest, mixed, however, in some parts of
the left chest, with mucous sounds of bronchitis.
Gentle stimulants and essence of beef were given.
On December 5th, the vomiting had ceased. He was
transferred to Stanton Hospital, Washington, on
December 11th; at that time, the wound was closed
and the orifice of it covered over by a small,
dark-colored, triangular-shaped scab. He
complained much of darting pains and stitches in
the right side. He exhibited dyspnœa and
increased frequency of the respiratory movements.
At times, the dyspnœa was so great as to compel
him to sit up in bed. There was a moderate amount
of effusion in cavity of right pleura, with
friction sounds higher up on the same side. He was
directed to keep quiet in bed, to be supported by
a nourishing diet, to take fluid extract of
cinchona, combined with iodide of potassium, and,
with a view to still further promote absorption
and combat the traumatic pleurisy, to have a
succession of blisters applied to his right chest.
About Christmas, he had a severe exacerbation of
all his symptoms, which was combated by the
application of wet and dry cups. A fresh pleurisy
was lighted up in the early part of January, 1863,
which was treated in the same way. Under the tonic
and supporting plan of treatment, he mended slowly
in spite of the relapses, and by January 25th, was
able to sit up most of the time. He was discharged
from service, at his own request, on February 2d,
1863. He was still very feeble and wan, had
dyspnœa, and percussion showed that the pleuritic
effusion, although diminished in quantity, still
remained, but the dyspnœa appeared to be much
greater than could be accounted for satisfactorily
by the amount of the effusion. Examining Surgeon Frank S. Porter reports, October 30th, 1867: The bayonet
entered the chest on the median line, at the lower
end of the sternum, and, ranging downward and
backward, wounded the diaphragm and liver. The
result is enlargement of the left lobe of the
liver, severe cough, bloody purulent
expectoration, hæmorrhage of the bowels, with
great emaciation. Disability total.