Title: Smith, Robert

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 2, Volume 1 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1879), 183.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D. C.chronic diarrhœaboth lungs considerably congestedmucous membrane of intestine dark-red color, no ulcersautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e41267

TEI/XML: med.d1e41267.xml


Case from the case-book of LINCOLN HOSPITAL, Washington, D. C.; Surgeon J. Cooper McKee, U. S. A., in charge.


CASE 419.—Sergeant Robert Smith, company C, 8th Maryland volunteers; age 23; admitted from the depot hospital of the 5th Corps, City Point, Virginia, January 18, 1865. Chronic diarrhœa. Died, January 26th. Autopsy the same day: Height five feet ten inches; rigor mortis well marked; body much emaciated. The brain weighed fifty-one ounces. The mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchial tubes was much congested, and of a dull-pink hue. Both lungs were considerably congested; the right lung weighed thirteen ounces, the left nineteen ounces. The heart weighed eight ounces. The spleen was normal, and weighed eight ounces. The liver was congested, quite a large amount of black blood exuding on section; it weighed fifty three ounces. The kidneys appeared to be normal; the right weighed six ounces and a half, the left seven and a half. The œsophagus, stomach and duodenum appeared to be normal. The mucous membrane of the rest of the intestine was of a dark-red color, but no ulcers were observed.—Acting Assistant Surgeon H. M. Dean.