CASE 17.—Sergeant Hiram H. Terwilliger, Co. E, 80th New York
Volunteers, aged 29 years, was wounded at Bull Run, Virginia, August 30th, 1862, by a minié ball,
which struck just below the calf, on the inner
side of the left leg, and split upon the bone, one
part passing through and issuing near its point of
entrance; the other lodging on the outer side of
the leg. This wound bled freely and occasioned
considerable pain, but he kept his place, till, as
he thinks, about a half hour later, when he was
struck again by a round bullet on the left side;
the missile passed directly through the cavity of
the chest, grazing the lungs and liver, and
emerged between the seventh and eighth ribs on the
right side. It then entered the right arm and
fractured the humerus into the elbow joint, where
it lodged; the spiral nerve was injured. The first
stunning sensation of the wound having passed, he
left the field and walked a distance of about two
miles, when, exhausted by loss of blood, he
fainted. He was conveyed to Alexandria, and
admitted, on September 1st, to Fairfax Street Hospital. On admission, he was insensible. Strong
stimulants were administered. Acting Assistant Surgeon Robertson removed the half of the ball
which had lodged in the leg; it was found
flattened and ragged-edged. The case progressed
favorably for about eight weeks, when the wound of
the chest closed. This was followed by diarrhœa
and feverishness, which symptoms passed off in a
few days. His appetite and flesh returned, and he
was discharged from service on January 14th, 1863.
Soon after his arrival home, a cough set in,
followed by severe pain in left side, disturbed
sleep, impaired appetite, laborious breathing,
swollen limbs, night sweats, and profuse expectoration. These symptoms becoming more and more
aggravated, and evidence of pus in pleural cavity
being well defined, the operation of
thoracocentesis was performed by Dr. Smith Ely, of Newburgh, New York, on April 28th. A trocartrochar was
plunged into the cavity of the chest, just below
the left shoulder blade, and an India-rubber tube
inserted in the opening, the ends of which were
left hanging down about four inches, the one
within and the other on the outside of the chest.
The operation was painful in the extreme, but,
weak and emaciated as he was, he endured it
without flinching. No anesthetic could be
administered, owing to his feeble condition.
Through the syphon formed by the tube, there was
discharged, during the ensuing ten days, about
seven quarts of matter. At the end of that time,
the tube was removed and the opening immediately
closed. The heart, which had been pushed around to
the right side, resumed its natural position, and
the lungs their proper functions. The cough
ceased, swelling disappeared from his limbs, and
his health gradually improved, until about
September 1st, when he removed to Alexandria, Virginia, and went into business. Pension Examiner R. Loughran reports, October 16th, 1871: Adhesion
of pleura and difficulty in expansion of chest and
respiration. Almost constant pain in track of
ball. Digestion greatly impaired, and general
debility of the entire system. Partial anchylosis
of elbow-joint. Tibia injured and soft parts
consolidated; partial loss of motion of foot.⃰
⃰This case was reported, at great length, in the Proceedings of the Ellenville (Ulster County, New York) Historical Society, July 8th, 1864, and
is copied in the Medical and Surgical Reporter, Philadelphia, 1865, Vol. XII, p. 137.