Title: B——, James

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), 444.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the spinegunshot wounds of the spinegunshot injuries of the lumbar vertebrægunshot fractures of the apophyses of the lumbar spinecomplete paraplegiafracture of spinous process of twelfth dorsal vertebrafracture of pedicle of first lumbar vertebramissile lodged in spinal canalnecropsy performedball entered to left of eleventh dorsal vertebra, and lodged

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e18879

TEI/XML: med.d1e18879.xml


CASE.—Private James B——, Co. G, 1st Maine Cavalry, aged 19 years, was wounded at Petersburg, Virginia, April 1st, 1865, by a conoidal ball, which entered one inch to the left of the eleventh dorsal vertebra, and lodged. He was treated in field hospital until April 4th, when he was sent to Armory Square Hospital, Washington. There was complete paraplegia, and the patient suffered from incessant vomiting. A catheter was introduced to evacuate the bladder. Death occurred on April 12th, 1865, from nervous prostration. At the necropsy, the ball was found to have destroyed the spinous process of the twelfth dorsal, and a part of the right pedicle of the first lumbar vertebræ, and lodged in the spinal canal. A specimen, illustrating this injury, is No. 4093, Section I, A. M. M., and was contributed by Acting Assistant Surgeon C. H. Bowen.