Civil War Washington

CASE 12.—Symptoms generally not strongly marked; free rose-colored eruption from 7th to 18th day; dysuria from 20th to 28th day; convalescence rapid.—Private J. E. Hollom, Co. H, 6th Me.; age 22; of large frame and stout habit, was taken about Sept. 3, 1861, with pain in the head, back and shoulders, slight fever, epistaxis and diarrhœa. He was admitted on the 9th as a case of typhoid fever. The patient was weak; his tongue coated at the base, pale at tip and moist; skin hot and dry, showing a profusion of rose-colored spots; his cheeks were flushed, quite red, and he had cough and hoarseness, but his bowels were quiet. Dover's powder was given. He rested well, but next morning the fever ran high; pulse 104; skin hot and dry; face much flushed; tongue purple at the tip, coated, pale; large numbers of rose-spots on the abdomen, thighs and back, disappearing on pressure; one thin stool; borborygmus; anorexia. Squill and tartar emetic were given to allay the cough. In the evening the flushed condition of the face continued and the patient became drowsy,—pulse 108, but the skin began to be moist; four small thin stools were passed; but there was no abdominal pain, tenderness nor borborygmus. Next day the skin was perspiring and covered with rose-spots, the pulse had fallen to 92, and the patient's drowsiness was dissipated and his cough lessened; he had epistaxis. In the evening he sat up for a short time. On the 12th he had four small stools and some tympanites, but no pain nor tenderness. In the evening the face was flushed, eyes injected, skin hot and dry, but the mind perfectly clear. The diarrhœa abated gradually, and on the 15th he had one natural passage; on which day the skin was in natural condition, the tongue dark-red and slightly coated and the mind clear; the patient's face was flushed, and he had some cough and hoarseness; the rose-spots continued on the surface and did not disappear finally until the 20th. On the 22d the patient complained of dysuria, occurring suddenly after beginning to urinate, and accompanied by the passage of a few drops of blood and pain in the end of the penis; this continued more or less until the 30th. On October 2 he was employed in light duty about the ward, and was returned to duty on the 20th.