Title: W——, James F.

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), 249.

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 observedmusket ball fractured both tables of occipital bone above and to left of protuberanceabscess extended from wound into left lateral ventriclecongested and discolored state of meningesportion of brain protruded from opening to left of centre of occipital boneautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e16330

TEI/XML: med.d1e16330.xml


CASE.—Private James F. W——, Co. H, 3d Maine Volunteers, aged 24 years, was wounded at Raccoon Ford, Virginia, November 27th, 1863, by a musket ball, which fractured both tables of the occipital bone, just above and to the left of the protuberance. He was admitted to the 1st division, Third Corps, field hospital on the same day, and transferred to the 3d division hospital, Alexandria, Virginia, on December 4th. On the following day he was still conscious, but very restless; his head was very painful, pulse 120, strong and full, tongue coated and dry, skin hot and bowels constipated. During the night he was delirious, and vomited often, and on the next morning he became comatose. A piece of bone, one inch long and three-fourths of an inch wide, was removed from the wound, but failed to relieve the patient, and he died at twenty minutes after three o'clock P. M. of the same day. The autopsy revealed a congested and discolored state of the meninges, and an abscess extending from the wound into the left lateral ventricle. Several small spiculæ were lying loose in the wound. An opening was found near the middle and a little to the left of the centre of the occipital bone, through which a portion of the brain was protruding. The pathological specimen is No. 1904, Sect. I, A. M. M., the posterior portion of the cranium showing a nearly circular fracture of both tables. The internal surface of the opening, which measures one inch in diameter, is slightly the larger. The specimen and history were contributed by Acting Assistant Surgeon J. Cass.