Civil War Washington

CASE 850.—Private F. Thorn, Co. D, 63d Pennsylvania, aged 28 years, was wounded in the left lower extremity, at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864. Surgeon O. Evarts, 20th Indiana, reported his admission to the field hospital of the 3d division,Second Corps. Three weeks after the reception of the injury the wounded man entered Emory Hospital, Washington, where he underwent the operation of excision at the hands of Surgeon N. R. Moseley, U. S. V., who reported that "the injury consisted of a gunshot wound of the left ankle, the bones being comminuted and the soft parts lacerated, but in a favorable condition. On May 26th chloroform and ether was administered, and resection of the lower third of the fibula was performed. The parts were kept in coaptation by adhesive straps, and cold-water dressings were used." According to a subsequent report the patient obtained a furlough on July 16th and left the hospital for his home in Erie, Pennsylvania, where "Dr. R. Faulkner amputated the leg at the middle third, on August 17th, by reason of gangrene." Several months later the patient, who had in the meantime been assigned to the 105th Pennsylvania Volunteers, returned, and was transferred to Judiciary Square Hospital. After being supplied with an artificial leg he was discharged from service March 18, 1865, and pensioned. He was paid March 4, 1880. Five small fragments of the fibula, removed at the first operation by Surgeon Moseley, and contributed by him to the Museum, constitute specimen 2362 of the Surgical Section.