Civil War Washington

Case from the case-book of the CUYLER HOSPITAL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Assistant Surgeon Henry S. Schell, U. S. A., in charge at the time the case was recorded:

CASE 183.—Private William Whitmore, company C, 90th Pennsylvania volunteers; age 38; admitted October 2, 1863. Diarrhœa. [The records of the regimental hospital of the 90th Pennsylvania, then serving with the army of the Potomac, show this man admitted September 1, 1863—rheumatism—sent to general hospital September 16th. He is borne on the register of the Columbian hospital, Washington, D. C., admitted September 16th—contusion—transferred to Philadelphia October 1st.] This patient stated that he had suffered more or less from diarrhœa since the spring of 1862. He was under the charge of Acting Assistant Surgeon Dunton for about eight months in this hospital, and improved somewhat in general health, having been exceedingly debilitated and emaciated when admitted. When first seen by the reporter, in June, 1864, he had every day three or four watery stools unaccompanied by pain, and was still weak, with excessive thirst and deficient appetite. The treatment adopted was tonic, astringent, and nutritive, and he seemed gradually to improve, the number of stools being reduced to two daily. On the evening of August 2d he returned from a pass very much intoxicated, and in the course of the night was attacked with acute abdominal pain, with coldness of the extremities, and died next day. Autopsy: The brain was not examined. The lungs and heart were healthy. The liver was somewhat softened; the gall-bladder distended with bile. The spleen was small and shrivelled. The stomach and intestines were much congested. The ascending and transverse colon presented numerous ulcerations.—Acting Assistant Surgeon P. D. Keyser.