Title: Vansant, James J.

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), 202.

Keywords:diarrhœa and dysenteryfatal cases of diarrhœa and dysentery, with accounts of the morbid appearances observedfrom the Third Division of the Alexandria Hospital, Virginiachronic diarrhœatyphoid symptoms, deliriumpneumonia, sanguineous expectorationlung congested, exuded bloody serosity on sectionpericardium contained four ounces of light-colored serumliver large and nutmeg characterPeyer's glands inflamed, many ulceratedlarge intestine inflamedkidneys were small and granularautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d1e41698

TEI/XML: med.d1e41698.xml


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


CASE 531.—Corporal James J. Vansant, company G, 180th Ohio volunteers; age 18; admitted from Soldiers Rest February 22, 1865. Chronic diarrhœa. Was treated with astringents and stimulants. February 25th: He was attacked with symptoms of pneumonia—cough, sanguineous expectoration, hot skin, &c. Prescribed quinine. February 28th: The symptoms assumed a typhoid character, and low muttering delirium set in. Died, March 2d. Autopsy seven hours after death: Body muscular and well nourished; great rigor mortis, especially in the lower limbs. There were firm pleuritic adhesions on the right side. The lower lobe of the left lung was much congested, and exuded a large quantity of bloody serosity on section. The pericardium contained four ounces of light-colored serum. The heart was normal. The spleen was soft, congested, and weighed twenty-two ounces. The liver was large and of the nutmeg character; the gall-bladder full of yellow bile. The stomach was inflamed in spots, and contained four ounces of greenish bilious matter. Peyer's glands were inflamed, and very many of them ulcerated. The large intestine was congested and inflamed. The kidneys were small and granular.


⃰ 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.