Title: Prescott, Thomas

Source text: Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes, United States Army, The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861–65.), Part 1, Volume 2 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1870), 217.

Keywords:on special wounds and injuries of the headwounds and injuries of the headgunshot woundsgunshot fractures of the cranial bonesremoval of fragments after gunshot fractures of the skullexfoliation and removal of necrosed or detached fragments of cranial bones after gunshot injuriesrecovered, slight disabilities, returned to dutyfragment of shell fractured skull at posterior portioncompression, spicula of bone driven into brain substance, depression of bone on side of openinggeneral anesthesia, chloroform

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e15115

TEI/XML: med.d1e15115.xml


CASE.—Private Thomas Prescott, Co. K, 110th Pennsylvania Volunteers, aged 21 years, was wounded before Petersburg, Virginia, August 18th, 1864, by a fragment of shell, which fractured the skull at its posterior portion. He was immediately admitted to the 3d division, Second Corps, hospital at City Point, Virginia; thence sent to Washington, where he entered the Finley Hospital on August 27th. On the 1st of September, symptoms of compression supervened. A careful examination revealed a spicula of bone driven into the brain substance, also slight depression of the bone upon the side of the opening. The patient having been placed under the influence of chloroform, the wound was freely opened and several pieces of bone were removed by Acting Assistant Surgeon F. G. H. Bradford, relieving the compression. The case progressed favorably, and on the 12th of September the patient was furloughed. On December 12th, he was admitted to the 3d division, Second Corps, hospital at City Point, Virginia, and returned to duty on December 21st, 1864. He is not a pensioner. The case is reported by Surgeon G. L. Pancoast, U. S. V.