B——, Silas a machine readable transcription Susan C. Lawrence Kenneth M. Price Kenneth J. Winkle 2011 med.d1e18822 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 21870440 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 fractures of the spine, dorsal vertebrae traumatic pleuropneumonia pleural cavity full of serum pleura lacerated by fragments of bone comminuted fractures of spinous processes of lower dorsal vertebrae fractures of transverse processes of seventh and eighth dorsal vertebrae fractures of seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth ribs necropsy performed bullet entered at posterior margin of scapula, lodged beneath skin over twelfth rib 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 Silas B——, Co. E, 4th Vermont Volunteers, aged 23 years, was wounded at the Wilderness, Virginia, May 5th, 1864, by a bullet, which entered at the posterior margin of the left scapula. He was taken to the field hospital of the Sixth Corps, where he remained until the 13th, when he was transferred to Douglas Hospital, Washington. Traumatic pleuropneumonia soon appeared; the right pleural cavity became full of serum and paracentesis was about to be performed, when the serum found a free escape from the wound of entrance. The discharge of serum was profuse; the vital powers gradually became enfeebled, and he sank and died from exhaustion on May 21st, 1864. Necropsy: The ball was found to have passed downward and toward the right side, comminuting, in its course, the spinous processes of the lower dorsal vertebræ and the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth ribs, and lodged beneath the skin over the twelfth rib on the right side. The right thoracic cavity was partially filled with dark-colored offensive serum; the lung was covered posteriorly with a large layer of lymph. There was no consolidation of the lung, but it was stained, of a dirty greenish color externally, and was softened within. The pleura was lacerated by fragments of bone, and several spiculæ were removed from the thoracic cavity. The pathological specimen is No. 3524, Section I, A. M. M., and consists of the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth dorsal vertebrae. The right transverse processes of the seventh and eighth are carried away, and a fragment of the ninth is chipped off. A portion of the fragments of the fractured ribs are with the specimen. It was contributed, with a history of the case, by Assistant Surgeon W. Thomson, U. S. A.