Title: Patterson, Hugh

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 2, Volume 1 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1879), 150.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom the Douglas Hospital, Washington, D. C.diarrhœaintermittent fever since entered armytransverse colon inflamed but not ulceratedtongue coated with white fur in centre and red on tip and edgesdelirium, pupils dilated, comaautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e40883

TEI/XML: med.d1e40883.xml


Case from the case-book and medical descriptive lists of the DOUGLAS HOSPITAL, Washington, D. C., Assistant Surgeon William Thomson, U. S. A., in charge from February, 1863, to September, 1864, and after September, 1865:


CASE 305.—Private Hugh Patterson, company E, 140th Pennsylvania volunteers; admitted July 29, 1863. Diarrhœa. This man had yellow discharges from the bowels, which contained small lumps of undigested food, but no blood. His abdomen was slightly tender on pressure; pulse 80 and feeble; skin cool; perspiration profuse; tongue coated with a white fur in the centre, red on the tip and edges. He stated that he had frequently suffered from intermittent fever since he entered the army. He was treated at first with pills of tannic acid and opium, and subsequently with pills of persulphate of iron, extract of gentian and opium. These measures seemed to control the diarrhœa somewhat, but on the 9th August he suddenly became delirious, his pupils dilated, his pulse very frequent; coma set in, and he died August 10th. Autopsy five hours after death: The brain was examined with great care, but nothing abnormal was detected, except, perhaps, some slight congestion of the pia mater. The transverse colon was inflamed, but not ulcerated. The lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and stomach appeared to be normal.—Acting Assistant Surgeon William H. Letterman.