Civil War Washington

CASE 9.—Private William H. Schlosser, Co. F, 140th Ind.; age 43; was admitted Feb. 3, 1865, having been affected for a week or two with cough. He had an abundant expectoration and well-marked symptoms of bronchitis. On the 12th his throat became slightly sore, the fauces somewhat reddened, tonsils enlarged and cervical glands swollen. A gargle was prescribed. Two days later he had a little diarrhœa but the throat was better. About noon of the 17th he was suddenly seized with great dyspnœa, his lips becoming quite blue, when, on examination, the uvula, epiglottis and glottis were found to be œdematous. Scarification gave some relief, but an emetic, which was administered, was without effect. At 5 P. M. the patient again became threatened with suffocation, which scarification and inhalation of hot vapor and of acetic acid and ether failed to relieve. Laryngotomy was performed at 7 P. M. by Ass't Surgeon WILLIAM NORRIS, U. S. A., the incision passing in the mesial line through the crico-thyroid membrane and cricoid cartilage. After the operation the patient took two or three inspirations, coughed up a few drops of blood, and died. Post-mortem examination: The chink of the glottis was completely closed by œdema of the surrounding tissue. [Specimen 519, Med. Sec., Army Medical Museum.] The epiglottis was œdematous and much thickened. The trachea and bronchial tubes were inflamed, their mucous membrane thickened and reddened to their minute subdivisions; no false membrane was found in any part of the air-passages. A small patch of pneumonia was discovered in the lower part of the left lung. The other organs were healthy.—Act. Ass't Surgion David L. Haight, Douglas Hospital, Washington, D. C.