Report on gun-shot and sabre wounds of invalids sent to Fort Pitt during the years 1860-61 / by Thomas Longmore.

  • Longmore, Sir Thomas, 1816-1895.
Date:
[1863]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on gun-shot and sabre wounds of invalids sent to Fort Pitt during the years 1860-61 / by Thomas Longmore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    cornet player for the band. Promise was at the same time made that lie should be relieved from carrying a knapsack, or from any exercise which called for more than the most ordinary exertion. It is a striking example, however, of the fruitless result of making any compromise of the kind in tlie medical province of the duty of recruiting. Head of Tibia.—The case in which tiie head of the tibia was wounded occurred at Delhi, in .June 1867. The ball first struck the bone near its tubercle, and was tlien deflected round its head upwards and to the inner side, and made its exit at a distance of 3 inches froui the wound of entrance. The surface of the bone was grooved by the projectile. The joint was unopened, but inflam- mation of the synovial capsule had followed, and impaired power botli of flexion and extension resulted. All movements of the joint were accompanied with a remarkable amount of sound like the creaking of new leather. Shaft of Tibia.—One of these cases is worth notice from the situation in wliich the Imll became lodged. The wound occurred in Private James Kerry 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, in Oude, on the 12th of April, 1859. He was struck by the liall in the middle of tlie right tibia. The bone was fractured at the part struck, and the ball lodged. Four months afterwards the ball was discovei ed near tlie insertion of the tendo-Acliillis, in the liollow space between it and the calcaneum, and was excised from this situation. Union of the fi'actured bone was eft'ected; but the patient suffered afterwards from uecrosi.f of tlie tibia and consequent lameness. Shaft of Fibula.—Some of the complications of this wound render it worthy of notice. Private James Ryan, 1st Battalion 13th Regiment, while on sentry at Allahabad, on January the 2Bth, 1858, was wounded by a musket ball, which passed tlirough the calf of the right leg, just helow the fleshy part of the gastrociiemic muscles. In making its exit it inflicted a partial fracture of the fibula. Tiic wound healed, but was followed by severe neuralgic pain, probably from the perineal nerve being involved in the injury. This pain continued to distress him at intervals up to the time of his discharge from the service. Con- traction of the muscles of the calf, and persistent extension of the foot, ensued in the course of cicatrization of the wound. To remedy this defect, the tendo- Achillis had been subcutaneously divided before the invalid arrived at Fort Pitt, but he remained disabled in con«e([uence of loss of power in the foot and ankle- joint, and from general wasting of the muscles of the limb. Tibia and Fibula.—This case presented no peculiarities. Order 6, Wounds of the Foot.—In one of these cases considerable diflBculty was experienced in extracting the ball, which was deeply and firmly embedded in the astragalus of the right foot. The exLraction was finally eff^ected by means of a screw tire-balle.' Surgeon Marlow, M.D., who forwarded a report of the case, wrote as follows :— It was found impossible to extract the ball by ordinary means. Fortunately an instrument made by Savigny, in the form of a screw, with a silver cauula, was procuied, and passed down upon the bullet. The screw wormed its way into the lead without the employment of any power, took a firm hold, and but for the extreme tightness with wliicli the projectile was held, would have extracted the hall altogether. The great force found nncessarv for overcoming this resistance, however, drew the instrument out of the lead'; but, in doing so, the bullet was lifted out of its b.d and thus was afterwards capable of being extracted without much difficulty. 1 lie injury occurred in Private Peter M'Cormack, 28th Regiment, at the assault on the fortress of Beyt, in 186!). Considerable local inflammation and constitutional irritaticm followed, but the foot was saved with partial stiffness of the ankle- joint and wasting of muscles. r . • In the second case, the ball passed through the metatarsus, fracturmg the third and fourth metatarsal bones. The fractures became united and tlie wound ultimately cicatrized, but considerable tenderness of the plantar surtace remained. Class 10.—Wounds of the Larger Artkbihs. No wounds of this class were admitted.
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