Civil War Washington

CASE.—Private Samuel G——, Co. C, 183d Pennsylvania Volunteers, aged 17 years, was wounded at the battle of Spottsylvania​ Court-house, Virginia, May 12th, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which depressed the right parietal bone at its posterior superior angle. A spicula, one and one-fourth inches in length and three-fourths of an inch in breadth, was driven in upon the dura mater. He was admitted to the hospital of the 1st division, Second Corps, and on the 23d sent to the Armory Square Hospital, Washington. Slight paralysis of the left leg and hand existed. The pupils were normal, but the tongue protruded. There were also slight symptoms of compression. On the following day, the patient was placed under chloroform, and Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V., trephined the skull and removed twelve pieces of bone. The dura mater was ruptured, and the pulsations of the brain were distinctly visible. Simple dressings were applied, and on May 29th the patient was doing well. On July 17th, he was transferred to Philadelphia and admitted into the Mower Hospital, where he remained until January 28th, 1865, when he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. The pathological specimen is No. 2375, Sect. I, A. M. M., and consists of a disc and three small fragments of bone. The specimen and history were contributed by Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V. The man was discharged on November 20th, 1865, and pensioned. On April 10th, 1867, Pension Examiner Thomas B. Reeve reported that there was a large depression at the seat of injury which was very sensitive. The patient said that he lost seventeen pieces of bone and could not bear the heat of the sun, and suffered from headache, dizziness, impaired memory, and defective eyesight, and was gradually growing worse.