Title: Monk, George W.

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 right parietal bone near posterior superior angleleft arm and both legs paralyzedremained on battlefield three days, exposed to cold and rain without shelter, seized with convulsionshæmorrhage from middle meningeal arteryfragments of bone from both tables escapedhelpless epilepticpersistent slight paralysis of left armabscess of brainmorbid excitability of whole cutaneous surfacedisability total and permanent

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e15930

TEI/XML: med.d1e15930.xml


CASE.—Corporal George W. Monk, Co. A, 78th New York Volunteers, was wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 3d, 1863, by a conoidal ball, which fractured the right parietal bone near its posterior superior angle. He fell to the ground in a state of insensibility; when consciousness returned he passed his finger into the wound one or two inches. His left arm and both of his legs were paralyzed. He remained on the field for three days, exposed to a cold and drenching rain without shelter, and was then seized with convulsions. He was admitted to the Log Hospital on May 6th, and on June 15th, sent to the Armory Square Hospital, Washington. From time to time, fragments of bone from both tables escaped. About the end of June, hæmorrhage occurred, probably from the middle meningeal artery, but was arrested by plugging. It recurred about four weeks later, but was again arrested. On August 27th he was furloughed; on October 14th, admitted to the Ladies Home Hospital, New York, and on February 6th, 1864, discharged from service. The paralysis had disappeared entirely, except from his left arm, where it remained in a slight degree. On March 26th, 1868, Pension Examiner N. W. Leighton reports that the patient was a helpless epileptic. There was abscess of the brain and paralysis of the left arm, with morbid excitability of the whole cutaneous surface. He rates his disability total and permanent.