Civil War Washington

CASE 11.—Corp'l George Montague, Co. K, 195th Ohio; age 29; was admitted Dec. 8, 1865, with acute rheumatism. He had been treated at regimental hospital for eight days and had been intoxicated for two weeks previous to the attack. On admission the left thigh, knee-joint, leg, ankle and foot were much swollen and very painful, and the left elbow and wrist tender and painful; the tongue was dry and dark-brown, the stomach irritable, the abdomen tympanitic, the stools frequent, light-colored and watery, the pulse 100 and weak, the skin dry and the mental faculties dull. Colchicum, morphine and effervescing draughts were prescribed. Next day, as the patient had passed no urine since admission, the catheter was employed, but only a tablespoonful of ropy liquid was obtained. Small and repeated doses of calomel, opium and ipecacuanha were prescribed, and subsequently dry cups to the loins, with buchu and spirit of nitre, and barley-water as a drink. No urine was passed, and the patient died comatose on the 11th. Post-mortem examination: Body not emaciated; complexion sallow. The brain was congested, and a small clot was found in the fissure of Sylvius, near the island of Reil. There were old adhesions on the posterior aspect and apex of the right lung; its middle lobe was in part hepatized and presented old cicatrices on its anterior surface. The heart was large but otherwise normal. The liver was fawn-colored and enlarged; the spleen very large and firm. The kidneys were large, fawn-colored and mottled on the surface with streaks and spots of congestion; the epithelium of the tubuli was granular and contained free oil-drops,—[Specimen 766, Med. Sec., Army Medical Museum]. The bladder was empty and firmly contracted. The descending colon was contracted and contained several small blood-clots, but there was no ulceration.—Surgeon E. Bentley, U. S. Vols., Slough Hospital, Alexandria, Va.