Civil War Washington

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 320.—Private James F. Ward, company C, 21st Pennsylvania cavalry; admitted September 9, 1864. Chronic diarrhœa. [The register of the hospital of the 1st Division, 5th Corps, near Petersburg, Virginia, shows that this man was admitted to that hospital August 29th—diarrhœa—and sent to depot hospital September 2d. According to the register of the depot hospital of the same division he was admitted to that hospital September 3d—remittent fever—and sent to general hospital September 8th.] This man, besides the usual symptoms of chronic diarrhœa, manifested slight aberration of mind for some time. He had an almost continual disgust for food, and became ultimately extremely emaciated. Died, January 22, 1865. Autopsy fifteenours after death: No rigor mortis; excessive emaciation. The brain appeared to be quite normal, as did also the lungs and the heart. The liver was normal. The spleen was somewhat smaller than natural, but its texture normal. The kidneys were small and slightly fatty; the bladder was contracted, and contained a small quantity of urine. The small intestine was nearly healthy throughout, the only thing abnormal being some slight patches of congestion in its lower portion. The large intestine was thickened, and presented on its mucous surface numerous small, dark-colored oval ulcerations, many of which penetrated to the muscular coat. These ulcers were found in all parts of the large intestine from the cæcum to the rectum.—Acting Assistant Surgeon George P. Hanawalt.