Civil War Washington

CASE 61.—Dizziness, wakefulness, rose-colored spots and diarrhœa; improvement about end of 2d week.—Private A. A. Rich, Co. G, 5th Vt. Vols.; age 17; was admitted Nov. 1, 1861. Diagnosis—debility. He had been sick about a week, first with chills, afterwards with fever. On admission he was wakeful and had headache, dizziness, buzzing in the ears, anorexia, thirst, vomiting, diarrhœa and cough. Next day the wakefulness continued; pulse 100, quick, full and firm; skin hot and presenting a few rose-colored spots on the chest; there was slight headache with tinnitus aurium; the tongue was slightly moist and furred white, but red on the tip, edges and central line; the appetite was good, but there was considerable thirst; the bowels were slightly relaxed, tympanitic and tender on pressure in the umbilical and left iliac regions; there was also some cough with frothy sputa. He slept well during the following night, and on the morning of the 3d the pulse was reduced to 80, but otherwise the symptoms continued as already stated. Treatment was by sulphate of quinine and astringents. On the 6th the diarrhœa became suddenly aggravated, five stools having been passed in the twenty-four hours, accompanied with abdominal tenderness and gurgling. Next day three stools were passed and on the 8th one stool. Improvement was progressive after this, but on the 18th, when the patient was transferred to Baltimore, Md., there was still some heat of skin, with slight abdominal tenderness and some cough. [He was returned to duty Jan. 27, 1862.]