Civil War Washington

Case from the case-book of the SECOND DIVISION of the ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL, Virginia, Surgeon Edwin Bentley, U. S. V., in charge. Autopsy was made and recorded in the case-book by Acting Assistant Surgeon Thomas Bowen:

CASE 462.—Private William H. Carey, company F, 28th Michigan volunteers; admitted from regimental hospital January 26, 1865. Chronic diarrhœa. Died, February 2d. Autopsy eighteen hours after death: Rigor mortis very great; body not emaciated, a well-developed muscular subject; slight suggillation posteriorly. The dura mater and pia mater were congested; the whole surface of the brain was coated with recent lymph deposited in the pia mater; the brain-substance was normal; the lateral ventricles contained two drachma of serum. Neck and spinal column not examined. There were no pleuritic adhesions; the pleural sacs contained an ounce of serum. The upper lobe of the left lung was normal, the lower lobe hepatized; the middle lobe of the right lung was hepatized, the lower lobe congested. The pericardium contained half an ounce of serum. The heart and its valves were normal. The omentum was injected and somewhat thickened. Nothing abnormal was observed in either small or large intestine. The liver was very much enlarged and pale; it presented a mottled appearance when cut into; the gall bladder contained two ounces of bile. The spleen was very much enlarged and softened. The pancreas and mesenteric glands were normal. The left kidney was normal, the right apparently softened; in its medullary portion were two small abscesses about the size of small peas; the bladder contained about six ounces of urine.