Civil War Washington

Case from the case-book of LINCOLN HOSPITAL, Washington, D. C.; Surgeon J. Cooper McKee, U. S. A., in charge.

CASE 411.—Private Andrew Kitchen, company D, 16th Michigan volunteers; age 18; admitted from the army of the Potomac September 20, 1864. Remittent fever. [This man appears on the register of the hospital of the 1st Division. 5th Corps, near Petersburg, Virginia, admitted September 9th—remittent fever—sent to general hospital September 16th. He appears on the register of the depot hospital of the 5th Corps, City Point, Virginia, admitted September 17th—intermittent fever—sent to general hospital September 19th.] Died, November 9th, of tetanus from intestinal irritation—(convulsions from meningitis?) Autopsy eleven hours and a half after death: Rigor mortis well marked; body much emaciated; the jaws more than ordinarily rigid. The membranes of the brain were much congested; on cutting through them about six ounces of fluid escaped; the brain-substance was softened, and the gray matter was in excess; each ventricle contained about two ounces of serum; the brain weighed forty ounces. The thoracic viscera were normal in appearance. The right lung weighed thirteen ounces and a half, the left thirteen ounces; the heart six ounces and a half. The stomach and small intestine were congested; the large intestine congested and ulcerated; the other abdominal viscera were normal. The liver weighed thirty ounces; the spleen four; the right kidney four, the left three and a half; the pancreas two and a half.—Acting Assistant Surgeon A. Ansell.