Cases in surgery : Gun-shot wounds ; Plural births / by J. Mason Warren.

  • Warren, Jonathan Mason, 1811-1867.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases in surgery : Gun-shot wounds ; Plural births / by J. Mason Warren. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    17/32
    GUN-SHOT WOUNDS. I.—Bullet split by coming in contact with Bone.—An occurrence very common with the ordinary spherical bullet, is to split on coming in contact with bone. The following interesting case occurred at the battle of Bull Run :—Lieut. Burd, of the 4th Maine Reg., a gentleman who before the war had distinguished himself by some discoveries in telegraphic communication, was struck on the left side of the os frontis with a round ball, aud was supposed by his comrades to be mortally wounded. lie was made prisoner, and taken to Richmond. A pro- jection was felt under the scalp, about four inches from the wound in the integuments, and an incision made over it, from which half of the bullet, with a highly polished cut surface, was removed. He remained seven months a prisoner at Richmond, during which time the wound in his forehead continued open, and suppurated freely. He was troubled with some uneasiness in the head, and by occasional head- ache. On his arrival at Fortress Monroe, after his release, this dis- charge still continuing, the wound was examined by Dr. Cuyler, U. S. Army, the distinguished surgeon at that post, who, on investigation, discovered a metallic substance deep in the wound. This was skil- fully extracted, and, as the patient states, a small portion of brain escaped at the time. On examination, the extracted body proved to be the other half of the ball, flattened on both sides, and having im- bedded in it a portion of the skull. On the next day, a piece of the inner table of the skull, which had been driven before the ball into the brain, was also extracted. After removing these substances, the wound healed. The patient afterwards came under Dr. Warren's observation, and remained for some time in delicate health. Dr. Fox, of the Naval Hospital at Chelsea, showed Dr. W. a case in which a ball penetrated in the middle of the arm, and was cut out over the scapula. In its passage it struck the edge of the scapula, cutting the ball nearly in halves, and flattening it out in this position.* * The ball was exhibited to the Society.