Civil War Washington

Case from the case-book and medical descriptive lists of the DOUGLAS HOSPITAL, Washington, D. C., Assistant Surgeon William F. Norris in charge from October, 1864, to September, 1865:

CASE 323.—Private Samuel B. Turner, company B, 124th Indiana volunteers; age 20; admitted February 5, 1865. Chronic diarrhœa and consumption. This man had suffered from diarrhœa for ten months; he had, when admitted, from four to six stools daily; was much emaciated; had cough and night-sweats. The number of stools was soon reduced to two in the twenty-four hours; but little change was noted in his general condition till about April 1st, when he had an attack of coryza, soon after which the other symptoms became more serious and he was obliged to go to bed. About the 15th of April epistaxis occurred of such a character as to necessitate tamponing the nostrils. Died, April 22d. Autopsy: Body excessively emaciated. Both lungs were filled with softened tubercles; the upper lobe of the right lung was honeycombed with small vomicæ; in the apex of the left lung was a large vomica; there were strong pleuritic adhesions on both sides. The bronchial glands were greatly enlarged. The heart was normal; but the pericardium contained eight ounces of clear serum, and several small spots of ecchymosis were noticed beneath the serous membrane. The spleen and kidneys were normal. The liver was large, and near its anterior border there were two small masses of tuberculous matter. There was extensive ulceration of the intestines from the duodenum to the rectum. Peyer's patches and the solitary glands, especially, were ulcerated; some of them, not yet ulcerated, appeared to be the seat of tubercular deposits. The mesenteric glands were excessively enlarged, and of a light-yellow color.—Acting Assistant Surgeon Henry Gibbons, jr.​