Civil War Washington

CASE 339.—Private W. A. Currier, Co. B, 22d Massachusetts, aged 33 years, was wounded at Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, and admitted into Harewood Hospital, Washington, four days afterwards. Surgeon T. Antisell, U. S. V.; recorded the following history: "A minié ball entered the outer side of the right thigh at the middle third, striking against the femur. The missile was extracted on December 18th, being found to have moulded itself to the cylindrical form of the shaft of the bone. The patient's general health was good. Simple dressings were applied to the wound. On February 11, 1863, the bone was found to be re-covered with periosteum excepting a very small portion, and the wound was allowed to close. On February 20th it had healed; but, on this day, erysipelas set in, spreading rapidly, and invading the whole leg and the body to the umbilicus. The leg swelled enormously and vesicated over a large portion of its surface, the cellular tissues being distended with serum. Punctures being made, several quarts of serum were discharged. By April 22d the patient had recovered, though he was still debilitated, and there was yet some enlargement. He was discharged from service May 9, 1863, by reason of an œdematous and stiffened condition of the wounded leg." Examiner A. L. Monroe, of Medway, Massachusetts, certified, January 12, 1864: "The knee cannot be flexed perfectly; the leg is swollen, and the fascia of the thigh seems to have been destroyed by the erysipelatous inflammation. The limb will improve, but it will never be perfectly restored." The Boston Examining Board, in 1873, certified to "varicose condition of the veins of the thigh and leg, phlebitis, etc." Pensioner was paid March 4, 1879.