Title: Dow, Smith E.
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), 541.
Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e19841
TEI/XML: med.d1e19841.xml
CASE 15.—Color Sergeant Smith E. Dow, 4th New York Volunteers, aged 28 years, was wounded at Petersburg, Virginia, October 27th, 1864, by a ball, which entered near inferior clavicular margin, passing inward, downward, and backward, divided into two parts, and emerged near superior angle of right scapula. He was admitted to the Fairfax Seminary Hospital, Virginia, November 2d, 1864; there was extensive sloughing and suppurating, and on November 5th the right subclavian artery was ligated below clavicle. He was feverish and weak from loss of blood. Patient did well for ten days after the operation, when he was allowed to sit up. Ligatures removed; profuse hæmorrhage, four ounces; compression made. Eleventh day, hæmorrhage of four ounces; decided to ligate. Parts indurated; on pulsation artery could not be seen at its normal position; compression continued. He died November 18th, 1864, from recurring hæmorrhage, the artery having divided at point of ligation. Necropsy: Parts of the wound indurated; almost impossible to trace the course of arteries and veins; bony deposit below clavicle, implicating arteries and veins; subclavian artery divided at point of ligation; ends contracted two inches; upper end drawn inward from its normal position two inches. The case is reported by the operator, Assistant Surgeon Harrison Allen, U. S. A.
