Civil War Washington

CASE 93.—Private Daniel Plummer, Co. H, 33d Pa.; age 23; was admitted Oct. 2, 1861, with headache, diarrhœa, loss of appetite and strength. He had been sick five days, having had a chill and fever on each day. A bath was given, with quinine at night. Next day his face was flushed, eyes injected, skin hot, dry and rough, tongue coated whitish-gray, pulse 101, full; he had pain in the head and back, slight deafness, tinnitus aurium, insomnia, confusion of thought and muttering; his bowels were tender and had been moved four times. Treatment—Dover's powder and quinine. During the five following days his tongue became dry and brown, pulse less frequent, 84, countenance more anxious and prostration much increased; his bowels were moved about twice daily. On the 8th the treatment was changed to turpentine, Dover's powder and whiskey-punch. A gallon of strongly acid urine, sp. gr. 1009, was passed on the 9th, but later in the disease the urine became alkaline. A blister was applied to the abdomen on the 14th. On the 16th he craved apples, and next day had some appetite; the bowels were quiet, having been moved but once daily for several days back. On the 18th gangrenous spots appeared on the blistered surface, which was dressed with chlorinated soda solution. Three days later an erysipelatous redness extended downward to the thigh and the patient was in extremely low condition, lying on his back with his mouth and eyes open, unable to protrude his tongue, his lips and teeth covered with sordes and his body generally, except the face and neck, with vibices. The gangrenous blistered surface was treated with a solution of one drachm of nitrate of silver in one ounce of water, but without benefit. His throat became sore on the 23d, and he died on the morning of the 24th. Post-mortem examination: The lungs were congested; the heart, liver, spleen and pancreas healthy; the kidneys inflamed and suppurating. The peritoneum was inflamed; the mucous membrane of the stomach unusually corrugated; the mesentery and its glands inflamed—of the latter some were ulcerated; the glands of Peyer in the ileum showed cicatrizing ulcerations.—Seminary Hospital, Georgetown, D. C.