Civil War Washington

CASE 54.—Private Frank Teats, Co. C. 5th N. Y. Cav.; age 22; was taken sick Sept. 19, 1861, with giddiness, chills, epistaxis and pain in the back, and admitted on the 23d as a case of remittent fever. His face was flushed, eyes suffused, pulse 85, quick and strong, skin hot and moist, tongue slightly white in the middle and red at the edges, appetite lost, bowels unmoved. He had headache, a slight cough and hurried respiration, 25 per minute. A small dose (one and a half drachms) of sulphate of magnesia with one-eighth of a grain of tartar emetic was given, and Dover's powder ordered to be taken at bedtime. He rested well, had one stool during the night, and next morning his countenance was natural. In the evening the face was again flushed, the eyes dull, pulse 92, tongue moist and white but with the papillæ at the tip projecting; appetite small. He had headache, cough with difficulty of expectoration, and a pain in the chest and abdomen from having taken capsicum by mistake. Six grains of quinine and three of Dover's powder were given every two hours until three such doses were taken. On the 25th there was no fever nor headache; the skin was warm and moist, the tongue moist and coated light brown, the pulse 98; the bowels were moved once; there was epistaxis at night. Next day the pulse was 78, and there was one stool with gurgling in the right iliac region and dysuria, but the cough had ceased and the appetite had returned. Extract of buchu was given. He was returned to duty on the 30th.