Title: S——, Charles A.

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), 252.

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 left superciliary ridge, fractured roof of orbit and inner table of skull, opened frontal sinus, and lodgedeye bulged out, sclerotic coat had appearance of blisterfracture extended above supra-orbital archbrain substance protruded like cauliflower excresenceexcrescencesubarachnoid effusion deposits resembling pus on external surface of cerebellum, medulla, and upper spinal cordorbital plate absent, frontal sinus opened, fissure extends inward to cribriform plate of ethmoidpost-mortem examination performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e16385

TEI/XML: med.d1e16385.xml


CASE.—Private Charles A. S——, Co. D, 46th New York Volunteers, aged 25 years, was wounded in an engagement near Petersburg, Virginia, June 26th, 1864, by a conoidal musket ball, which entered above the left superciliary ridge, fractured the roof of orbit and the inner table of skull, opened the frontal sinus, and lodged. The eye was bulged out, and the sclerotic coat had the appearance of being blistered; fracture extended ten lines above the supra-orbital arch. He was conveyed to the field hospital of the 3d division, Ninth Corps, where the ball and spiculæ of bone were removed by Surgeon W. C. Shurlock, 51st Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was thence sent to City Point, Virginia, and on July 1st transferred to Washington, D. C., entering Lincoln Hospital on the same day. The wound was looking well for several days, when it became inflamed and swollen, and in order to permit free evacuation of pus it was enlarged. The case progressed favorably until the 14th, when he became very wild and restless, with some fever. Saline cathartics and small doses of calomel were administered, also ipecac and opium. Collodion was applied to brain substance, which protruded like a cauliflower excresence​. Coma supervened, and death ensued on July 27th, 1864. The post-mortem examination revealed a large amount of subarachnoid effusion; the brain substance in the region of the wound was very soft and pulpy; the left lobe of the cerebellum was softened, and on its external surface was a deposit resembling pus. A similar deposit was also observed in the medulla and upper portion of the spinal cord. The pathological specimen is No. 2891, Sect. I, A. M. M. One inch of the supra-orbital arch is carried away, and the opening involves one square inch of the external table. The opening internally is a little larger, part of the orbital plate is absent, the frontal sinus is opened, and a fissure extends inward to the cribriform plate of the ethmoid. The bone immediately around the opening is cribriform, and is covered with a thin chalky layer of new formation. The specimen was contributed by Acting Assistant Surgeon H. M. Dean.