Bowen, Charles M.a machine readable transcriptionSusan C. LawrenceKenneth M. PriceKenneth J. Winkle2011med.d2e13945Civil War WashingtonUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnCenter for Digital Research in the
Humanities319 Love LibraryUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100cdrh@unlnotes.unl.edu2011
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Kenneth M. PriceAJ HowellMatthew BosleyElizabeth LorangStacey BerryElisabeth TraceySarah SynovecThe Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.
(1861-65.)Washington, DCGovernment Printing
OfficePart 3Volume
21883311Medical 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 femursecondary amputations in the shaft of the femur for shot injurysecondary amputations in the middle third of the femurcases of recovery after secondary amputation in the middle third of the femurball entered outer aspect of thigh above knee, fractured femur, passed out directly
oppositedeep but circumscribed abscessgangrenerecurrence of abscessesfemur only partially unitedsciatic nerve injuredfoot entirely paralysedbone fragments considerably overlapped, callus exceeded necessary for complete
unionerysipelasphthisis pulmonalisblessedadded figure encodingadditional proofing of transcription and encoding, identified
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CASE 486.—Private Charles M.
Bowen,¹ Co. A, 27th Indiana, aged 19
years, was wounded at Antietam, September 17, 1862. He was taken to Frederick and admitted to No. 1 hospital on September 24th. Acting Assistant Surgeon J. C.
Shimer records the following: "A conoidal ball had entered the outer aspect of the left
thigh about five inches above the knee, fractured the femur, and passed out directly opposite.
Buck's apparatus was applied. On October 19th, considerable amount of callus had been thrown
out, and there was some union; his appetite and general condition were good. October 23d, a deep but circumscribed abscess on the
outer side of middle third of thigh was opened and evacuated. 30th, both the wounds of entrance and exit were enlarged to evacuate
pus more freely. December 5th, he has improved greatly; passive motion has been employed to
overcome stiffness of the knee." On March 18, 1863, he was able to walk with the aid of
crutches, and the wounds had nearly healed. A slight attack of erysipelas yielded readily to
treatment. May 21st, the wound took on a gangrenous condition, for which strong nitric acid was
applied. On June 15th, he was transferred to
Baltimore. The wounds looked healthy and his general condition was excellent. He entered the
Jarvis Hospital on the 16th, and was discharged
September 7, 1863. The femur had only
partially united; the sciatic nerve was injured; his leg was partially and his foot entirely
paralysed. He received a pension, and was employed as a clerk in the Interior Department. Owing to a recurrence of abscesses he entered the Providence Hospital, Washington, in the autumn of 1867, and, on November
11th, the limb was amputated in the middle third by Dr. D.
W. Bliss, late Surgeon U. S. V. The wound
healed well, and a photograph was taken at the Army Medical
Museum on January 9, 1868, at which time the
stump was firm and healthy. The specimen was contributed to the
Museum by the operator, and is No. 4914, Surgical
Section. The fragments are considerably overlapped, having undergone unusual disturbance, and
the amount of callus exceeds what is necessary for complete union. On March 10, 1871, the patient was a clerk in the Pension Office; the stump was healthy but his general
health poor. He died March 17, 1878, of phthisis
pulmonalis.
¹ Circular No. 3, Surgeon General's Office, Washington, 1871, p.
205, CASE DLXXXV.