Civil War Washington

CASE 744.—Private D. Lee, Co. G, 2d New York Artillery, aged 20 years, was wounded in both legs by a shell during the siege of Petersburg, June 16, 1864, and entered Harewood Hospital, Washington, six days afterwards. Surgeon R. B. Bontecou, U. S. V., reported: "The patient had both legs amputated by Assistant Surgeon O. S. Paine, 2d New York Artillery, on the day he was wounded, the operation being performed by the circular method at the lower thirds. He stated that he was in good health at the time of the operation. At the time of his admission he was suffering from diarrhœa, and there were symptoms of gangrene in the stump of the right leg, the tibia and fibula protruding; granulations of stump of left leg not very good. The treatment was supporting, and included opiates, astringents, and the external application of solution of chloride of lime to the gangrenous stump. By June 26th the patient was improving and the granulations had become healthy. He was subsequently transferred to the General Hospital at Rochester, discharged May 31, 1865, and pensioned, having been previously furnished with artificial legs of the "Bly" pattern. In his application for artificial limbs, dated 1870, the pensioner described the stumps as being in a "sound condition." He died September 25, 1874. Though the immediate cause of his death was not ascertained, the pensioner's health had been reported as having become very much impaired.