McConkey, Alexandera machine readable transcriptionSusan C. LawrenceKenneth M. PriceKenneth J. Winkle2011med.d2e12592Civil War WashingtonUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnCenter for Digital Research in the
Humanities319 Love LibraryUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100cdrh@unlnotes.unl.edu2011
The following are responsible for particular readings or for changes to
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Kenneth WinkleAJ HowellMatthew BosleyElizabeth LorangStacey BerryElisabeth TraceySarah SynovecThe Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.
(1861-65.)Washington, DCGovernment Printing
OfficePart 3Volume
21883289Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellionwounds and injuries of the lower extremitiesinjuries of the shaft of the femuramputations in the shaft of the femurintermediary amputations in the shaft of the femur for shot injuryintermediary amputations in the lower third of the thighsuccessful cases of intermediary amputations in the lower third of the thighball entered on inner condyle of knee, passed through joint, and exited on opposite
sideamputated thigh in lower thirddiarrhœacause of death not satisfactorily givengeneral anesthesia, chloroformblessedadded figure encodingadditional proofing of transcription and encoding, identified
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CASE 468.—Private Alexander
McConkey, Co. D, 63d Pennsylvania, aged 48
years, was wounded at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which entered on the inner condyle of
the left knee, passed through the joint, and made its exit on the opposite side. He was conveyed
to Washington, and admitted into the Harewood Hospital on May
14th. Surgeon R. B. Bontecou, U. S. V., furnishes the following notes of the case: "An
examination of the injury was immediately made; the soft parts around the wound were found much
inflamed and the joint œdematous. His general condition being good, it was decided to
amputate without delay, and the patient being
chloroformed, Surgeon Bontecou removed the thigh in the
lower third by the lateral flap operation. The stump healed favorably, the ligatures came away
on the eighth day, and the patient progressed well on a supporting diet until, July 29th, he had
so far recovered as to be about on crutches, when he accidentally fell, injuring the stump,
which became inflamed; alcohol and water dressings were applied. On August 4th, an abscess was
opened, which discharged about four ounces of pus. 5th, he had a severe attack of diarrhœa,
which was checked by proper treatment. 30th, condition very good; a small sinus still exists,
owing to some necrosed bone." He was transferred to PittsburgPittsburgh, April 3, 1865, and admitted
into hospital there. The wound had entirely healed, and he was discharged May 19, 1865. He was pensioned, and died May 15, 1873; the cause of death is not satisfactorily
given. The pathological specimen, showing the bones of the left knee, with the articular
extremity of the femur shattered (No. 3066, Sect. I, A. M. M., Cat., 1866, p. 338), was contributed by the
operator, who also furnished a photograph of the stump, which is copied in the adjoining
wood-cut, FIG. 195.