Title: Buchfinck, 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), 430.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the lower extremitieswounds and operations in the legshot contusions of the bones of the legshot contusions of the tibia and fibulashot contusions of the bones of the leg treated by conservationfatal cases of shot contusions of the bones of the leg treated by conservationleg wounded in lower thirdball passed anterior to tibia and injured periosteumsevere wound of leg caused by musket ballgangrenetissues destroyed from ankle joint to middle third of leg, leaving tibia exposedtissues of heel sloughed, exposed tibia necrosed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e17338

TEI/XML: med.d2e17338.xml


CASE 661.—Private J. Buchfinck, Co. A, 16th Michigan, aged 26 years, was wounded at Poplar Grove Church, September 30, 1864, and admitted to the field hospital of the 1st division, Fifth Corps, with "severe wound of left leg, caused by a musket ball." A week later the man was transferred to Harewood Hospital, Washington, whence Surgeon R. B. Bontecou, U. S. V., contributed the specimen and reported the result of the case: "The leg was wounded in the lower third, the ball passing anterior to the tibia and injuring the periosteum. The patient, although weak, did tolerably well up to October 13th, at which time the parts became gangrenous, destroying the tissues from the ankle joint to the upper part of the middle third of the leg and leaving the tibia exposed for about six inches. Under the application of escharotics the wound became healthy and the limb improved until January 2, 1865, when gangrene reappeared and the tissues of the heel commenced sloughing, the exposed tibia being necrosed and exfoliating. In addition to escharotics the treatment was supporting throughout. The patient died of exhaustion January 26, 1865." The specimen (No. 3609, Surgical Section, A. M. M.) consists of the tibia, and shows one longitudinal half of the bone to be necrosed and nearly separated, the other portion being sheathed with callus.