Title: Green, J. H.

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 3, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1883), 187.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the lower extremitiesinjuries of the shaft of the femurshot fractures of the shaft of the femurshot fractures of the shaft of the femur treated by conservationshot fractures of the middle third of the femur treated by conservationrecovery after shot fractures of the middle third of the femur treated by conservationball entered anterior thigh above junction of middle and lower thirds, producing comminuted fracture, exited on posterior surface opposite entrancebone united, five and a half inches shortening, femur is bowed, foot invertedknee joint stiffened

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e8649

TEI/XML: med.d2e8649.xml


CASE 381.—Private J. H. Green, Co. E, 14th New York Heavy Artillery, aged 46 years, was wounded at Bethesda Church, June 2, 1864, and admitted to the field hospital of the 1st division, Ninth Corps, where Surgeon M. K. Hogan, U. S. V., recorded: "Gunshot fracture of right thigh." Two days afterwards the wounded man was moved to the Depot Hospital of the Ninth Corps, and on June 14th he reached Washington. Acting Assistant Surgeon H. A. Robbins reported: "He was admitted to Armory Square Hospital, having been wounded by a conoidal ball, which entered the anterior aspect of the right thigh at a point above the junction of the middle and lower thirds, producing comminuted fracture, and made its exit at a point on the posterior surface opposite to that of entrance. The limb was treated in Hodgen's splint without extension. During the month of March, 1865, several spiculæ of bone were removed, varying in size, the longest being two and a half inches in length. These were extracted without enlarging the opening. The patient came under my care June 1, 1865. The bone is now united with five and a half inches shortening. The femur is bowed out and the foot is considerably inverted. The knee joint is considerably stiffened, so that it can only be flexed to an angle of about twenty degrees. About one ounce of healthy pus is now discharged during twenty-four hours. The patient's health is very good." On July 6th he was brought to the Army Medical Museum, when the photograph, shown in the cut (FIG. 149), was taken. On the following day he was transferred to the Ira Harris Hospital at Albany, whence Assistant Surgeon J. H. Armsby, U. S. V., contributed a cast of the injured limb (Cat. Surg. Sect., 1866, p 535, Spec. 1356). The patient was discharged from service October 3, 1863, and pensioned. Examiner S. L Parmelee, of Gouverneur, New York, certified, September 4, 1873: "The ball entered five inches above the knee, anteriorly, fracturing the femur, and splitting, with two points of emergence, on the posterior aspect of the thigh. Result: Stiff knee; femur curved outward at an angle of twenty degrees," etc. At a subsequent examination substantially the same was reported. The pensioner was paid March 4, 1879.

FIG. 149—Shot fracture of middle third of right femur. [From a photograph.]