Civil War Washington

CASE 722.—Private S. L. Willson, Co. D, 72d New York, aged 18 years, was wounded at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. He was admitted to the field hospital of the 2d division, Third Corps, whence Surgeon C. K. Irwin, 72d New York, reported: "Compound comminuted fracture of right and left leg by minié ball, followed by amputation of both legs." Surgeon H. Janes, U. S. V., forwarded the following history: "The patient entered Camp Letterman August 30th. Both of his legs had been shattered at the lower third, and amputation was performed at the upper third on the day following the injury. The stumps granulated well and the patient's general health was good. Simple dressings, with tonics and stimulants, constituted the treatment. On October 21st, when the man was transferred to another hospital, the stumps were in tolerable good condition. There had been ulcers in the cicatrices, threatening gangrene, which was controlled with citrine ointment, leaving small abrasions." The patient subsequently passed through hospitals at Baltimore and Alexandria, and lastly he was transferred to Rochester, where he was discharged May 31, 1865, and pensioned. Since leaving the service he has been furnished at regular intervals with artificial legs of the "Bly" pattern, which he reports as satisfactory, and the use of which enabled him to accept and hold employment as messenger of the U. S. Senate at the Capitol building for a number of years. In his several applications for these artificial limbs he described the stumps as being in good condition. His pension was paid March 4, 1880.