Title: C——, Thomas

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), 438.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the spinegunshot wounds of the spinefractures of the dorsal vertebraegunshot fractures of the eighth dorsal vertebrapersistent diarrheadark and offensive pus between lung and pleura costalisfluid in pleural cavity, compression of lower lobe of lungperson of the patient became offensiveball wedged between head of eighth dorsal vertebra and corresponding ribautopsy performedball entered side of thorax between sixth and seventh ribs below the nipple, remaining in bodypersistent diarrhea, accompanied with extreme emaciation, abdominal pain, scantiness of secretions, and capricious appetite

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e18793

TEI/XML: med.d1e18793.xml


CASE.—Private Thomas C——, Co. G, 8th Illinois Cavalry, aged 30 years, was wounded at Upperville, Virginia, June 21st, 1863, by a musket ball, which entered the right side of the thorax, between the sixth and seventh ribs, two and a half inches below the nipple and two inches from the sternum, remaining in the body. He was taken to the Cavalry Corps Hospital, Army of the Potomac, and, on June 24th, transferred to Lincoln Hospital, Washington. The wound of entrance soon healed. An examination revealed the presence of fluid in small quantity in the left pleural cavity, with compression of the lower lobe of the lung. He did not complain of pain in the side, which varied very slightly in circumference to that of the right. The scapula of that side was almost motionless on respiration. Cough moderate; sputa none. He was troubled with a persistent diarrhœa, which assumed almost the same characteristic as the ordinary chronic diarrhœa, being accompanied with extreme emaciation, abdominal pain, scantiness of the secretions, and capricious appetite. In the latter part of November, the patient commenced to sink. A severe cough came on. Expectoration became profuse and sputa very offensive. Orthopnæa marked. His mind, however, was clear. The diarrhœa increased in violence. About December 1st, the person of the patient became very offensive. Delirium set in. Death supervened on December 9th, 1863. The autopsy showed the posterior portion of the right lung much compressed; the third lobe was carnified and the posterior portion of the lung covered with a thick layer of roughened lymph; between this and the pleura costalis was found one quart and two ounces of dark and offensive pus. The liver was covered on the peritoneal surface by thick adhesive bands. The kidneys were greatly congested. There was no ulceration of the intestines. The ball was found firmly wedged in between the head of the eighth dorsal vertebra of the right side and the corresponding rib. The pathological specimen is numbered 1954, Section I, A. M. M., and was contributed, with a history of the case, by Assistant Surgeon H. Allen, U. S. A.