Civil War Washington

CASE 85.—Remittent fever; symptoms of typhoid fever not distinctly manifested; fatal by peritonitis on the 25th day.—Private Mason Hitchcock, Co. A, 19th Ind. Vols.; age 33; had a chill Aug. 28, 1861, with pain in the bones, back and calves of the legs, relaxation and tenderness of the bowels, and fever which was worse in the evening. He was admitted on the morning of September 5, when his pulse was 80, skin warm and moist, tongue pale and coated and colon tender on pressure. Quinine was given. He had a chill at 2 P. M., and in the evening the skin was hot and dry and the tongue very red, flabby and coated. On the 6th, 7th and 8th he had no fever at the morning visit; but in the evening the skin was hot and dry and the bowels somewhat relaxed and tender; his complexion was sallow and his mind rather dull. He was treated with Dover's powder and small doses of blue-pill. After the 9th there was slight fever at the morning visit, but the patient was able to be up and walk around a little until the 12th; the tongue was dry, brown, yellow and white by turns, but usually red at the tip; the pulse was weak, 80 when lying, 100 when standing; the bowels were moved from one to three times daily, and there was always some tenderness along the track of the colon. On the 15th two bloody stools were passed and the patient was much depressed, the colon tender, the tongue thickly coated yellow, the skin hot and sweating, pulse 86. A blister was applied over the colon and opium and tannin prescribed. The bowels remained quiet until the 17th, when an enema of soap was administered. At this time there was some tenderness in the right iliac region. On th 18th the stomach was irritable and the pulse ran up to 120. Vomiting continued next day and was accompanied with acute tenderness in the epigastrium; the patient lay on his back with his legs drawn up. On the 21st the pulse was 140, tongue nearly clean but very dry, skin hot, abdomen tender. In the evening the body became covered with a profuse sweat, the extremities cold, the features pinched, the pulse imperceptible, the heart's action irregular, speedily ending in stupor and death. No rose-colored spots were discovered in this case although specially looked for.