L——, Alexander a machine readable transcription Susan C. Lawrence Kenneth M. Price Kenneth J. Winkle 2011 med.d1e18751 Civil War Washington University of Nebraska–Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
319 Love LibraryUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100cdrh@unlnotes.unl.edu
 2011

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 The following are responsible for particular readings or for changes to this file, as noted: Matthew Bosley Elizabeth Lorang Stacey Berry Elisabeth Tracey The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861–65.)Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes, United States ArmyWashington, D.C.Government Printing OfficePart 1 Volume 21870436 Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion wounds and injuries of the spine gunshot wounds of the spine fractures of the dorsal vertebrae gunshot fracture of the fourth dorsal vertebra symptoms of paralysis and functional disturbances of alimentary canal and urinary organs paraplegia and loss of sensation below fourth dorsal vertebra pneumonia fractured spine of fourth dorsal vertebra autopsy performed ball entered at lower third of scapula, passed obliquely downward and to left, lodged in thorax additional proofing of transcription and encoding case text extracted and transformed from larger file enriched encoding validated file encoded initial checking of OCR text against PDF; encoded

CASE.—Private Alexander L——, Richardson's Partizan Cavalry, aged 18 years, was wounded at Warrenton Junction, Virginia, May 2d, 1863, by a small conical ball, which entered at the lower third of the scapula at its inner edge, passed obliquely downward and to the left, and lodged in the thorax. He was admitted, on the next day, to the Mansion House Hospital, Alexandria. On admission, he was found to have paraplegia and complete loss of sensation of all parts of the body below the fourth dorsal vertebra. Stimulants and tonics, with nourishing and sustaining diet, were given. On May 12th, pneumonia of the left lung set in, which rapidly passed into the third stage. His tongue was clean and appetite tolerably good, but his pulse was frequent and feeble. An expectorant was given, with an anodyne at bedtime. By May 20th, a cavity had formed in the lower portion of the left lung containing fluid. His appetite and strength were diminishing. On the 22d, several gangrenous spots appeared on the lower extremities. His urine and fæces passed continuously and involuntarily, the urine displaying the turbid appearance and strong ammoniacal odor so characteristic of lesions of the spinal cord. He continued to grow worse and died on May 27th, 1863. At the autopsy, the lower and part of the upper lobe of the left lung were found entirely destroyed and converted into sanious fluid, of which there were found three pints in the cavity of the pleura. The ball was found to have passed obliquely downward and forward, and lodged in the body of the fourth rib, fracturing, in its course, the spine of the fourth dorsal vertebra. The spinal cord at this point was found softened and disintegrated. The pathological specimen is No. 1600, Section I, A. M. M., and was contributed, with a history of the case, by Surgeon Robert Reyburn, U. S. V.