Civil War Washington

CASE 8.—Musician Joseph Price, 14th U. S. Inf.; age 16; was admitted April 3, 1864. While in Washington, awaiting transportation to his regiment in Virginia, he was much exposed to the weather, having to sleep in the snow. He was sick when he joined his regiment, March 24, having quotidian chills, colliquative diarrhœa, insomnia, great thirst and extreme tenderness of the chest and abdomen. On admission effervescing draughts, quinine, turpentine emulsion, with morphia at night and turpentine stupes, were prescribed. Eggnog was added to the treatment on the 5th, and on the following day, as the diarrhœa persisted, an enema of one grain of nitrate of silver in one ounce of mucilage was administered. On the 7th his mind became partially disturbed, and soon afterwards the discharges were passed involuntarily. He died on the 11th. Post-mortem examination: The pericardium contained eight ounces of straw-colored liquid. The lungs were healthy excepting a slight pleurisy on the right side. The diaphragm adhered at all points to the upper surface of the liver, which was very large and heavy and filled with numerous abscesses,—[Specimen 295, Med. Sec., Army Medical Museum]. The cavity of the abdomen was greatly distended with liquid, but the stomach, intestines, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and bladder were healthy.—Ass't Surgeon E. DeW. Breneman, U. S. A., Hospital, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps.