Civil War Washington

CASE 114.—Diagnosis—remittent fever. Diarrhœa and abdominal pain; deafness, delirium and prostration; record incomplete.—Private Edwin White, Co. H, 86th N. Y. Vols.; age 18; was admitted March 2, 1862, with remitting fever, headache, giddiness, nausea and constipation. The record is silent as to his condition until the 13th, when he was dull and dejected and talked much in his sleep, having a hot and dry skin, a dry tongue, rough and coated but clean and moist at the edges, some pain in swallowing, diarrhœa, abdominal pain and slight iliac tenderness, with headache and flushed cheeks, rapid pulse and occasional epistaxis. The fever increased towards evening and was followed by a chill. From the 14th to the 18th he had delirium at night but was rational during the day; his bowels were slightly relaxed, the stools thin and watery, and there was much abdominal tenderness. Quinine was ordered on the 14th, tincture of iron and turpentine emulsion on the 15th; epistaxis was noted on the 16th and deafness on the 17th. On the 18th delirium gave place to dulness​ and stupidity, which increased until on the 21st the patient was unable to protrude his tongue well and swallowed with difficulty; there was epistaxis; cough became troublesome and the expectoration was tinged with blood, which was conceived to be owing to the epistaxis. From this time to the 30th, when the daily record ends, there was little change in the symptoms. The patient was discharged for debility May 10.