Title: Patterson, John P.

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), 229.

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 skullrecovered after gunshot fractures of the skullepilepsyconoidal ball fractured and depressed both tables of left parietal bone near vertexfragments of bone removed, exposed dura materconvulsions for two days, then loss of voluntary motion in right arm and legparalysis disappeared, epilepsy superveneddisability total and permanent

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e15917

TEI/XML: med.d1e15917.xml


CASE.—Private John P. Patterson, Co. A, 49th Pennsylvania Volunteers, aged 19 years, was wounded at Rappahannock Station, Virginia, November 7th, 1863, by a conoidal ball, which fractured and depressed both tables of the left parietal bone near the vertex. He was conveyed to Washington, and admitted into the Stanton Hospital on the 9th. Several fragments of bone were removed exposing the dura mater. For two days convulsions occurred; after that the patient became tranquil, with the loss of voluntary motion in the right arm and leg. On the 20th, the paralysis disappeared. The wound suppurated moderately and filled with healthy granulations. On the 26th, and again on the 27th of December, several small spiculæ of bone were removed. By January 1st, 1864, the patient had entirely recovered; was furloughed on the 7th, and admitted to Turner's Lane Hospital, Philadelphia, on May 11th. Epilepsy supervened, and he was discharged from the service on July 18th, 1864. A communication from the Commissioner of Pensions, dated January 2d, 1868, states that Patterson is a pensioner, and that his disability is rated total and permanent. The case is reported by Acting Assistant Surgeon C. Campbell.