Title: Woodruff, C. A.

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), 437.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the lower extremitieswounds and operations in the legshot fractures of the bones of the legshot fractures of the bones of the leg treated by conservationshot fractures of the fibula treated by conservationrecovery after shot fractures of the fibula treated by conservationwounded through right legball entered middle of leg, outer and posterior aspect, emerged anteriorly between the tibia and fibula, fractured fibulagangrenepieces of bone removed at time of injurystiffness of ankle joint, unable to bear weight on right foot or walk without crutchesparticles of bone discharged from woundcongenital malposition of heart, location on right side, apex beating in right chestdextrocardia

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e18008

TEI/XML: med.d2e18008.xml


CASE 685.—Corporal C. A. Woodruff, Co. A, 10th Vermont, aged 19 years, was wounded through the right leg, at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864. He was admitted to Mount Pleasant Hospital, Washington, four days after the injury, and subsequently to Brattleboro'. On December 27th, the patient was transferred to Sloan Hospital, Montpelier, whence Surgeon H. Janes, U. S. V., contributed the photograph (FIG. 266), with the following history: "The wound was caused by a musket ball, which entered about the middle of the leg, on the outer and posterior aspect, passed forward and emerged anteriorly between the tibia and fibula, two inches below the point of entrance, fracturing the fibula. Several pieces of bone were removed at the time of the injury. Gangrene followed, and the wound opened to the size of an open hand. The wound of entrance closed in April, 1865, but that of exit had not healed at the time of his discharge from service. He was then obliged to use a crutch in walking. The patient also had a congenital malposition of the heart, which he never discovered until the time of his enlistment, the location of it being on the right side, with the apex beating under the right nipple. His chest was well formed, and he was a stout and, excepting his wound, a healthy man." The patient was discharged from service August 18, 1865, and pensioned. Examiner G. B. Bullard, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, certified, on January 25, 1866, that particles of bone were still being discharged from the wound, and the pensioner complained of stiffness of the ankle joint, and that he was unable to bear his weight on his right foot or walk without crutches. He was last paid September 4, 1866, since when he has not been heard from.

FIG. 266—Shot fracture of right fibula. [From a photograph.]