Worthen, E.a machine readable transcriptionSusan C. LawrenceKenneth M. PriceKenneth J. Winkle2011med.d2e8301Civil 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
this file, as noted:
Kenneth WinkleAJ HowellMatthew BosleyThe Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.
(1861-65.)Washington, DCGovernment Printing
OfficePart 3Volume
21883183Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellionwounds and injuries of the lower extremitiesinjuries of the shaft of the femurshot fractures of the shaft of the femurshot fractures of the shaft of the femur treated by conservationshot fractures of the upper third of the femur treated by conservationrecoveries after shot fractures of the upper third of the femur treated by
conservationball entered thigh in front, passed directly through, emerged posteriorly at lower border
of glutei musclescomminuted fracture of femurinjured limb shortened and considerably deformeddischarge of burrowing pustyphoid fevererysipelasblessedadded figure encodingadditional case copied from MSHWR, performed proofing of copy
and XML encoding, and key terms identified
CASE 372.— Corporal E. Worthen, Co. B, 2d Vermont, aged 25
years, was wounded in the right thigh, at the Wilderness,
May 5th, 1864, and admitted to hospital in Alexandriathree weeks afterwards. Surgeon E. Bentley, U. S. V.,
described the wound as a "shot fracture of the upper third of the femur," but the progress of
the case was not recorded. On March 17, 1865, the
patient was transferred to Sloan Hospital, Montpelier, whence Surgeon H. Janes, U. S.
V., contributed the following history: "The wound was caused by a minié ball, which
entered the thigh in front, passed directly through and emerged posteriorly, at the lower border
of the glutei muscles, comminuting the femur for about three inches. From the field the wounded
man was taken to the hospital of the 2d division, Sixth Corps, at Fredericksburg, and thence by
boat to Alexandria, where the limb was first adjusted, and kept in
position by sand bags without extension. He stated that no other apparatus was ever used.
Subsequently he had typhoid fever and erysipelas. The first fragment of bone was removed in
July, 1864, and since that time about fifty pieces
have come away. When admitted to Sloan Hospital the wound was still slightly discharging, but
the patient was able to go about on crutches. About three months afterwards the bone had become
so firmly united that he could walk a short distance without crutch or cane. When discharged
from service, June 23, 1865, the patient
was in good general health, and able to walk a considerable distance on smooth ground without
crutch or cane, the injured limb being shortened two and a half inches and considerably
deformed. There was also necrosed bone remaining, and the wound still slightly discharging."
Examining Surgeon C. L. Allen, of Rutland, Vt., reported, September 24,
1866: "The right limb is now three inches shorter than the left. An opening (the wound
of entrance) still exists in front of the trochanter, into which a probe passes about four
inches; another opening posteriorly (the wound of exit) allows the probe to pass in about three
inches. A third opening exists near the middle of the inside of the thigh, having been made by
the Surgeon for the discharge of the burrowing pus." The same examiner subsequently certified
that he was called on to visit the pensioner on October
23, 1870, and found him "suffering from pyæmia, resulting from the wound breaking
out anew, from the effects of which he died October 25,
1870." A card photograph of the patient, taken at the Sloan Hospital, was contributed by
Surgeon Janes (Card Photos., A. M.
M., Vol. II, p. 22), an enlarged copy of which, taken at the Army Medical Museum (Surg. Phot. Series, No. 129), is shown in
wood-cut (FIG. 139).