Civil War Washington

CASE 391.—Private J. Moran, Co. K, 25th Ohio, aged 22 years, was wounded at Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and admitted to hospital at Alexandria four days afterwards. Surgeon E. Bentley, U. S. V., reported: "A ball entered on the anterior side of the left thigh, at the top of the middle third, passed though the limb, fracturing the bone, and emerged on the inner side of the thigh, at the bottom of the middle third. The patient was treated by rest and position, and the bone united with considerable shortening. He was discharged from hospital January 30, 1863." The man subsequently joined the Veteran Reserve Corps, and was ultimately discharged from service March 28, 1865, and pensioned. Examiner S. S. Thorn, of Toledo, Ohio, October 3, 1865, certified to the "shot fracture of the femur, followed by three and a half inches shortening, anchylosis of knee, and impaired power of limb;" also to "the wound being still open and exfoliating bone." Examiner S. M. Smith, of Columbus, one year later reported the injured femur as affected with necrosis, and Examiner T. A. Reamy, of Cincinnati, in September, 1873, describes the "muscles firmly adherent to the bone at the point of the injury, an open sinus communicating with the bone anteriorly, and great angular deformity at the union of the fractured bone." The attending physician of the pensioner certified that he died November 11, 1874, of debility superinduced by necrosis of the injured femur, which was attended by continued exfoliation and suppuration.