Civil War Washington

CASE 730.—Private B. G. Waters, Co. H, 19th Maine, aged 19 years, was wounded at Petersburg, October 15, 1864. Surgeon I. Scott, 7th West Virginia, reported that "he entered the field hospital of the 2d division, Second Corps, with shot fracture of leg, caused by a minié ball, for which Surgeon W. J. Burr, 42d New York, performed amputation." Surgeon E. Bentley, U. S. V., reported the following result of the case: "The patient was admitted to Baptist Church Hospital at Alexandria six days after being wounded. His left leg had been amputated at the upper third by anterior and posterior flaps on the day of the injury. When admitted his general health was fair, although he complained of considerable pain and required opiates to procure sleep. The integument over the spine of the tibia was black and had commenced to slough. This continued until the ends of both bones were exposed and the stump around presented a large mass of sloughing tissue. Stimulating lotions were applied and some improvement followed; all sloughing ceased and granulations commenced; but the granulations were pale and flabby, the edges of the integument everted, and the patient suffered excessive pain. On November 18th, sloughing reappeared and extended rapidly towards the popliteal region. He was also troubled some with diarrhœa, having about four passages daily. He was daily growing weaker from suffering and loss of appetite, and the stump became so painful that he would cry out frequently, complaining of spasmodic twitching. Taking these circumstances and the danger of secondary hæmorrhage into consideration, the limb was reamputated in the lower third of the femur (see TABLE XL, No. 200, p. 323, ante) on November 24th, by Assistant Surgeon W. A. Harvey, U. S. V., who used sulphuric ether as the anæsthetic and performed the operation by the circular method. Three days after the operation the patient's appetite had improved and he could sleep well, was more cheerful, and complained of but little pain. No union had yet taken place in the stump, but suppuration had commenced. On December 7th, when transferred to Prince Street Hospital, he was still doing well." The subsequent records show the patient died of exhaustion April 25, 1865. The stumps of the tibia and fibula, removed at the second amputation, together with portion of the popliteal vein, external and internal popliteal nerves, were contributed to the Museum by Surgeon E. Bentley, and constitute specimens 3445, 3446, 3447, and 3448, respectively, of the Surgical Section.