Title: Tetlow, J.

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 3, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1883), 366.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the lower extremitieswounds and injuries of the knee jointshot injuries of the knee jointshot contusions of the knee jointshot contusions of the knee joint treated by conservationfatal cases of shot contusions of the knee joint treated by conservationball entered outer side of popliteal space of legball impinged upon internal condyle, killing periosteumpus filled knee joint and dissected up lower third of femurautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e14925

TEI/XML: med.d2e14925.xml


CASE 543.—Private J. Tetlow, Co. F, 23d New Jersey, was wounded at Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, by a ball entering the outer side of the popliteal space of the right leg. The patient, a strong healthy man, was admitted to hospital at Alexandria six days after receiving his wound. The knee was tender and the inflammation slight at first, but soon grew worse. On December 23d, the patient had a chill and there was high constitutional fever, with great swelling and pain in the knee. On the following day the ball was discovered lying loose in the wound and was removed. On December 29th, pus was detected and let out by free incision, giving much relief. Subsequently the patient became delirious at times, and on December 31st he again had a chill, with pain in the stomach. He died January 2, 1863. At the autopsy it was ascertained that the ball had impinged upon the under side of the internal condyle, killing the periosteum for over a space of half a dime. The other articulating bones were also found bare of periosteum, and pus had filled the knee joint and dissected up the lower third of the femur. The case was reported by Acting Assistant Surgeon G. F. French.¹


¹ BELLANGER (J. B.), Report of Five Cases of Gunshot Injury of the Knee Joint treated at Mansion House Hospital, Alexandria, Virginia, May 16, 1863, in American Journal Medical Sciences, 1863, Vol. XLVI, p. 44.