Title: Northrup, A. Jerome

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), 196.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom the Third Division of the Alexandria Hospital, Virginiachronic diarrhœagreat pain and tenesmuscough and dull heavy pain in lower lungsigns of pneumonia in first stagelower lobe of lung congestedmucous membrane of ileum inflamed, solitary and agminated glands enlargedcontraction of gut near ileo-cæcal valveliver enlargedautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e41532

TEI/XML: med.d1e41532.xml


Case from the case-book of the THIRD DIVISION of the ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL, Surgeon Edwin Bentley, U. S. V., in charge:⃰


CASE 488.—Private A. Jerome Northrup, company G, 141st New York volunteers; admitted September 26, 1863. Chronic diarrhœa. The patient was much emaciated. The discharges from the bowels averaged ten daily; they were accompanied by great pain and tenesmus. He had a slight cough and a dull heavy pain in the lower part of the right lung, with the physical signs of pneumonia in the first stage. September 28th: Is somewhat better; there are now but four passages daily. October 2d: Copious diaphoresis, with cramps in the lower extremities. Died, October 4th. Autopsy ten hours after death: The lower lobe of the right lung was congested. The mucous membrane of the ileum was much inflamed; its solitary and agminated glands were enlarged. There was considerable thickening and contraction of the gut in the vicinity of the ileo-cæcal valve. The liver was much enlarged. [There is no record of the condition of the large intestine.]


⃰ It is to be regretted that, in most instances, the records of this hospital do not show by whom the autopsies were made. It is known that many of them were made by Surgeon Bentley himself, or under his immediate supervision, but it is only possible to distinguish these from the others in a few cases.