Title: Bell, John F.

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), 153.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom the Douglas Hospital, Washington, D. C.chronic diarrhœadescending colon above sigmoid flexure presented follicular ulcersmucous membrane between follicular ulcers frosted with pseudomembraneautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e40928

TEI/XML: med.d1e40928.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; Assistant Surgeon William F. Norris in charge from October, 1864, to September, 1865:


CASE 318.—Private John F. Bell, company I, 8th New York heavy artillery; admitted from City Point, Virginia, September 9, 1864. Chronic diarrhœa. The patient was much emaciated, and had at the time of admission as many as twelve or fifteen passages in the twenty-four hours. The disease yielded to treatment about the latter part of September, after which, under the use of stimulants, he gained strength rapidly. October 17th: He had a relapse which proved uncontrollable. He died, October 22d, rather suddenly, having a pulse of natural frequency though feeble, and appearing tolerably strong until a few hours before death. Autopsy: The colon was thickened and presented numerous follicular ulcers, with some pseudomembrane adhering to the mucous membrane between them. [The condition of the other organs is not recorded.]—Acting Assistant Surgeon R. B. Hitz. [No. 462, Medical Section, Army Medical Museum, is from this case. The specimen is a portion of the descending colon just above the sigmoid flexure, presenting great numbers of minute follicular ulcers, between which the mucous membrane is frosted with pseudomembrane.]