Title: S——, W.

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 2, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1876), 545.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the upper extremitieswounds of the shoulder jointexcisions at the shoulderdecapitations of the humerussecondary decapitations of the humerus for shot injuryunsuccessful casesgunshot wound over scapulaball entered deltoid muscle, injured head of humerus, exited near spineresection of head of humerus performeddiarrhœaabscess in upper part of arm near head of humerus

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e31092

TEI/XML: med.d2e31092.xml


CASE 1516.—Private W. S——, 3d New York Independent Battery, aged 20 years, was wounded at Petersburg, March 25, 1865, and was admitted to Harewood Hospital, Washington, on April 2d. Surgeon R. B. Bontecou, U. S. V., reported: "Admitted April 2, 1865, suffering from a gunshot wound over the right scapula, the ball entering the deltoid muscle, injuring the head of the humerus, and making its exit near the spine. Resection of head of right humerus was performed, April 26th, through an incision about four inches long, over the deltoid muscle. At the time of the operation, the patient was very weak, and suffering from diarrhœa. An abscess had collected in the upper part of the arm, near the head of the humerus, and the parts were infiltrated with pus. The result was unfavorable, and the patient gradually sank, and died from exhaustion May 10, 1865." The operator, Dr. Bontecou, forwarded to the Museum a photograph of the patient (Card Photographs, Vol. II, p. 10), which is copied in the adjacent wood-cut (FIG. 416). It was taken soon after the operation, when a happier result was anticipated.

FIG. 416.—Incision and exit wound in a secondary decapitation of the humerus. [From a photograph.]