Title: Forest, Calvin

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), 243-244.

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 skullrecovery after removal of fragments of skull for gunshot fracturefurloughed, retired, released, or exchangedcomplicated by erysipelasconoidal ball entered above left zygomatic process, passed through left orbit and destroyed left eyeball emerged from inner wall of right orbit, carried right eye with iterysipelas attacked woundsspiculæ of bone removed dailylost senses of taste and smell, taste almost entirely restoredboth eyes destroyed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e16249

TEI/XML: med.d1e16249.xml


CASE.—Private Calvin Forest, Co. G, 8th North Carolina Infantry, aged 18 years, was wounded at the battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, May 31st, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which entered one inch above the left zygomatic process, passed through the left orbit, destroying the eye, and emerged from the inner wall of the right orbit, carrying with it the right eye. He was admitted into the general field hospital on June 2d, and on the 10th he was transferred to the Lincoln Hospital, Washington, in a delirious condition. Erysipelas had attacked the wounds, and he suffered considerably. Five spiculæ of bone were removed daily. Simple dressings were used. Tonics were administered. The wounds gradually healed. There was a loss of the senses of taste and smell; but that of taste became almost entirely restored. He was transferred to the Old Capital Prison, for exchange, on October 1st, 1864. Surgeon J. Cooper McKee, U. S. A., reports the case.