Civil War Washington

CASE.—Private William A. Furbush, Co. G, 16th Maine Volunteers, aged 18 years, was wounded at Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13th, 1862, by a ball, which struck about the junction of the external and middle thirds of the right clavicle, passed downward, backward, and inward, and emerged some inches below the spine of the scapula. There was some comminution of the external part of the clavicle, and the direction of the ball made it certain that injury had been inflicted in the scapula. He was treated in the field, and, on the 18th, sent to St. Aloysius Hospital, Washington. When admitted, there were symptoms of pneumonia, though otherwise there was no evidence of injury to the lung. Soon afterward, persistent diarrhœa set in, which, with profuse suppuration from the wound, gradually prostrated him. Some detached pieces of bone were removed, and the sharp ends of the clavicle taken off. Supporting treatment. Death resulted on January 13th, 1863. Necropsy: Aside from the injury of the clavicle, the coracoid process was found entirely detached, the spine of the scapula fractured along the line of its junction with the body, the ball having struck at the junction of the spine and body, carrying away spiculæ from both. On opening the joint an interesting complication was found, not suspected during life. The cartilages were eroded, and the head of the humerus presented a carious appearance, and, at one point, looked as if it had been injured by some detached fragment. From this point, there was free communication with the wound, admitting a flow of pus into the joint. There was no opening in the cavity of the chest. The right pleura-pulmonalis was covered with lymph. Both lungs were congested posteriorly, and a small superficial abscess was found in the inferior lobe of the right. Liver considerably enlarged but otherwise healthy. The pathological specimen is No. 720, Section I, A. M. M., and was contributed, with a history of the case, by Assistant Surgeon Alexander Ingram, U. S. A.