Civil War Washington

CASE.—Private George R. M——, Co. E, 84th Pennsylvania Volunteers, aged 29 years, was wounded at the Wilderness, Virginia, May 6th, 1864, by a conoidal ball, which entered at the superior angle of the scapula, passed backward, producing a compound comminuted fracture of the spine of the left scapula and remained in the wound. He was treated in the field until the 14th, when he was transferred to Carver Hospital, Washington. When admitted, his constitutional condition was excellent and the injured parts were in good condition; there was not much swelling but considerable pain. On May 17th, Acting Assistant Surgeon William E. Clark administered chloroform and excised the fractured spine of the scapula through a straight incision immediately over it. He also removed the ball. The wound was then filled with charpie, and cold-water dressings applied. The patient reacted well from the shock of the operation and continued to improve, the wound granulating rapidly and secreting a quantity of laudable pus. On June 17th, 1864, he was furloughed, and, on September 10th, admitted to Satterlee Hospital, Philadelphia, whence he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, January 17th, 1865. Discharged from service on September 14th, 1865. The wood-cuts (FIGS. 261 and 262) on the preceding page show the acromion and upper third of the spine of the left scapula, and the missile causing the fracture. It was contributed, with a history of the case, by Surgeon O. A. Judson, U. S. V. Pension Examiner John McCulloch reports, May 11th, 1866, that "the ball entered and passed over and rather back of the head of the left humerus, shattering the scapula, and was extracted about one-third from the lower point of scapula. Arm can be raised nearly level carried forward pretty well, but not back. Scapula hollow, arm weak. Disability three-fourths, probably not wholly curable."