Civil War Washington

CASE 1267.—Private Francis Heward, Co. F, 1st New Jersey, was admitted into Fairfax Seminary Hospital, April 5, 1862, with a dislocation of left humerus forward and inward of a few hours standing. Surgeon Henry A. Armstrong, 2d New York Artillery, reduced the bone without assistance. On May 6th Acting Assistant Surgeon H. W. Ducachet discovered that the bone was again out of place in the same direction. The patient was chloroformed and reduction attempted with the heel in the axilla, but without success. On the 9th pulleys and counter-extending bands were obtained and adjusted. Chloroform was again administered, a drachm being poured upon a piece of lint about two inches square and held about three inches from his face, a towel being thrown over the head of the patient and hand of the operator, and which was removed from time to time to admit air. Some time elapsed before the muscles became relaxed, when the chloroform was removed. There was no stertorous breathing, choking, or struggling, nor was there occasion to use force to keep him down, as at the previous administration. There was, as there always is, congestion of the conjunctiva and vessels of the neck, but not as much, certainly not more, than when the chloroform was administered on the 6th. Reduction was being attempted when symptoms of asphyxia were noticed; the pulleys were instantly relaxed, the tongue drawn forward, and artificial respiration resorted to, but everything failed. No autopsy was made. The report of the case is signed by Surgeon H. A. Armstrong and Acting Ass't Surgeon H. W. Ducachet.