Title: Craig, Robert B.

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), 199.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom the Third Division of the Alexandria Hospital, Virginiatypho-malarial feverchronic diarrhœasevere cough, excessive expectorationexcessive tenderness in right iliac regiontubercles in both lungs, numerous purulent spotssigmoid flexure and descending colon inflamed with spots of ulcerationmucous membrane of ileum inflamedautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e41646

TEI/XML: med.d1e41646.xml


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


CASE 518.—Private Robert B. Craig, company M, 2d New York heavy artillery; age 26; admitted August 11, 1864. Typho-malarial fever. He had previously suffered from chronic diarrhœa. At the time of admission he had some fifteen fetid watery stools daily, and there was excessive tenderness in the right iliac region; he was emaciated and debilitated; pulse 93 and feeble. As he seemed quite feverish, solution of acetate of ammonia was prescribed, combined with tincture of aconite; for the diarrhœa a turpentine mixture, and subsequently Hope's camphor mixture; stimulants were also administered. The diarrhœa was readily controlled, the febrile symptoms abated, and his condition seemed favorable, when a severe cough set in accompanied by excessive expectoration. Expectorants, tonics and stimulants were employed, and counter-irritants applied to the chest, but without benefit. Died, September 5th. Autopsy seven hours after death: There were tubercles in both lungs, and numerous purulent spots about the size of a cherry; the right middle lobe was the only one not affected. The heart was normal. The sigmoid flexure and descending colon were inflamed, and presented spots of ulceration the size of peas. The mucous membrane of the ileum was somewhat inflamed. The other abdominal viscera were normal.


⃰ 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.