Civil War Washington

CASE 4.—Private James Evans, Co. F, 48th Pa.; age 25; was admitted Feb. 27, 1863, having been sick for four weeks. His tonsils were ragged and ulcerated and there were small patches of exudation in the throat; he swallowed with difficulty. He had an oppression in the right lung, mucous râles over both sides of the chest and an offensive, purulent expectoration. On March 1 the dyspnœa increased and he became delirious and died next day. Post-mortem examination: General hypostasis. Brain reddish, firm, much congested; pia mater extremely injected. Base of tongue, half arches, tonsils, epiglottis, glottis, more than half the larynx and pharynx swollen and covered with white, stringy, semi-granular, firmly-adherent material, believed to be diphtheritic. Lungs congested,—right twenty-eight ounces; left twenty-one ounces; bronchial tubes dark-colored. Heart containing white clots in both ventricles. Liver irregularly congested; spleen twelve ounces and a half, bright red and very soft.—Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D. C.