Title: P——, E. B.

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), 266.

Keywords:on special wounds and injuries of the headwounds and injuries of the headgunshot woundsgunshot fractures of the cranial bonestrephining after gunshot fractures of the skulltrephining practiced, fatal terminationmusket ball fractured both tables of os frontis in median line below anterior extremity of sagittal suturelarge quantity of sanguineous pusdepressed fragment of inner table removedpus beneath dura materautopsy performedinternal table fractured, spiculae driven into substance of braincompression of brain

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e16711

TEI/XML: med.d1e16711.xml


CASE.—Corporal E. B. P——, Co. H, 14th Connecticut Volunteers, aged 20 years, was wounded at the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13th, 1862, by a musket ball, which fractured both tables of the os frontis in the median line, one inch below the anterior extremity of the sagittal suture. He was admitted to the Amory​ Square Hospital, Washington, on the 20th. Symptoms of compression of the brain appeared in a few days. An examination revealed a piece of lead, impacted in the os frontis, one half of an inch below the anterior extremity of the sagittal suture. On the 29th, Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V., applied the trephine over the seat of injury and removed the portion of bone containing the fragment of lead, giving exit to a large quantity of sanguineous pus. Immediately beneath the trephined portion of bone, a depressed fragment of the inner table was found, measuring three-fourths of an inch in diameter, which was removed. Cold water dressings were applied, cathartics administered, and low diet ordered. The patient lingered in a semi-comatose condition until the 31st, when death ensued. The autopsy revealed the internal table much fractured, and spiculæ driven into the substance of the brain. A large collection of pus existed beneath the dura mater. The pathological specimen is 625, Sect, I, A. M. M., and was contributed, with the history, by Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V.