Title: C——, Joseph

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), 248.

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 skullfatal cases of gunshot fractures of the skull treated by the removal or elevation fragmentstreated by operation, not by formal trephiningextent of injury ascertained with precision, organic alterations accurately observedconoidal musket ball entered above right zygoma and penetrated skullball perforated centre of squamous suture, edges beveled at expense of inner tableright cerebrum completely destroyedautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e16303

TEI/XML: med.d1e16303.xml


CASE.—Sergeant Joseph C——, Co. B, 3d Pennsylvania Cavalry, was wounded at the battle of Mine Run, Virginia, November 27th, 1863, by a conoidal musket ball, which entered above the right zygoma and penetrated the skull. He was treated in the field hospital until December 4th, when he was conveyed to Alexandria and admitted to the 3d division hospital. Delirium had supervened, which continued until within twelve hours of his death. Several fragments of bone were removed, but the patient was unable to take food, and drank but two or three times of whiskey and water. He became comatose, and died on December 5th, 1863. At the autopsy, the right lobe of the cerebrum was found to be completely destroyed. The pathological specimen is No. 2641, Sect. I, A. M. M. The perforation is at the centre of the squamous suture, and measures three-fourths of an inch by one inch externally, having the edges beveled at the expense of the inner table. There is no fissuring. The specimen and history were contributed by Surgeon E. Bentley, U. S. V.