Civil War Washington

CASE.—Private James P. Benham, Co. D, 5th New York Volunteers, aged 22 years, of a nervo-sanguine temperament, and who had always enjoyed perfect health, was wounded at the second battle of Ball Run, Virginia, August 30th, 1862, by a conoidal ball, which entered the left cheek midway on a line drawn from the middle of the margin of upper lip to that of the lobe of the ear, passed along the body of the inferior maxilla, breaking out both upper and lower anterior and posterior molars, causing a compound fracture of the superior maxilla, and then striking the palate bone at its posterior edge, glanced off in an oblique direction downward and forward to the right, and lodged in the lingual muscles. He was admitted, on the next day, to the Armory Square Hospital, Washington, in an exhausted condition. Stimulants and nourishing diet were given. The ball could not be found. Spiculæ of bone were removed, and cold water dressings applied. On September 6th, the wound was suppurating freely. On September 12th, secondary hæmorrhage occurred, probably from the tonsillar or palatine arteries, which was restrained by cold applications. On October 17th, an incision was made one inch in front of the angle of the inferior maxilla, at the lower posterior edge of the gland, and the bullet extracted. It was found to be much flattened and bent, and thickly set with minute spiculæ of bone. Fomentations were applied to promote suppuration. On October 26th, the wounds in the cheek and fauces were closed, and on the 31st, the parts had assumed nearly their normal condition. He was discharged from service March 31st, 1863. Surgeon D. W. Bliss, U. S. V., reports the case. He is a pensioner, his disability being rated one-third and permanent.