Civil War Washington

CASE 10.—Private Edward W. Gold, Co. F, 90th Pa. Vols.; age 33; enlisted July, 1863. In November following he was hurt by a mule in the small of the back, and passed blood per rectum freely for two days after the injury; but at the end of two weeks he was returned to duty. Soon after this he woke one night chilled and wet by a leak in the roof of his quarters. He was confined to bed for several days with loss of power but not of sensation in his legs. Gradually power returned and he became able to walk with aid. In February, 1864, he had an abscess in his right hand, during the progress of which the arm became swollen, and after the closure of the wound made for the discharge of matter the fingers continued flexed. At this time his legs again became weak, and he was sent to Lincoln hospital, Washington. He was exposed to cold in the cars for eleven hours and to a heavy rain-shower during his conveyance in an ambulance to the hospital. For some time after admission his condition did not improve, but later he began to recover power over his legs. He was transferred to Satterlee hospital, Philadelphia, on May 3.—diagnosis: nervous debility, and on the 31st to Turner's Lane. The records of the latter hospital report the patient on July as having frequent pains in the small of his back and cramps below the knees, chiefly at night; sensation was not materially altered, but the legs and arms were tremulous and powerless, the right arm being in addition considerably atrophied. On August 3 it was stated that the patient was able to walk for the first time since falling into this paralytic condition. On November 21 he was discharged because of paralysis agitans and paraplegia.