Title: Smith, J. 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), 171.

Keywords:injuries of the abdomenpenetrating wounds of the abdomenwounds of the kidneygunshot woundsshot wound of the kidney complicated with fractures of the vertebral columnshot wound in lumbar region,ischuria renalispartial paraplegiaball traversed bodies of second and third lumbar vertebræ, perforated kidneykidney almost disintegratedperitoneum inflamed, intestine gangrenousbladder filled with bloody pusautopsy performed

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e31732

TEI/XML: med.d2e31732.xml


Shot wounds of the kidney are not infrequently complicated with fractures of the vertebral column, as Surgeon John A. Lidell, U. S. V., in the instructive paper¹ on injuries of the spine, already cited, records the particulars of the following case:


CASE 540.—Private J. W. Smith, Co. K, 116th Pennsylvania, aged 19 years, received a shot wound in the right lumbar region, at Salem Church, May 30, 1864. Admitted to Stanton Hospital June 4th. There was ischuria renalis, with partial paraplegia. He died June 14, 1864. The ball had traversed the bodies of the second and third lumbar vertebræ, and perforated the right kidney, which was almost disintegrated. The peritoneum was everywhere highly inflamed, the intestine almost gangrenous; the bladder was filled with bloody pus.


¹ LIDELL (J. A.), On Injuries of the Spine, including Concussion of the Spinal Cord, in the Am. Jour. Med. Sci., 1864, XLVIII, p. 314.