Bell, Charles Milton (1848-1893) Successful intermediate excision of the head, neck and trochanters of the right femur.
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05111.01.0032 Author/Creator: Bell, Charles Milton (1848-1893) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Photograph Date: circa 1867 Pagination: 1 albumen : b&w ; 35.5 x 27.8 cm. Order a Copy
One undated photograph entitled, "Successful intermediate excision of the head, neck and trochanters of the right femur," tatken by Charles Milton Bell. Image is of Private Hugh Wright of New Jersey. Printed description on verso describes Wright's medical condition and the operation he underwent.
Wright was wounded by a connoidal musket ball at the May 5th, 1864 Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. He underwent surgery on May 27th to have the ball and shrapnel removed. He was discharged from the hospital and the U.S. military on April 17th, 1865.
Surgeon General's Office.
Army Medical Museum.
Photograph No. 188 Successful Intermediate Excision of the Head, Neck and Trochanters of the Right Femur.
Private Hugh Wright, Co. G, 8th New Jersey Volunteers, was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, May 5th, 1864, and was admitted into Stanton Hospital, at Washington, May 25th, 1864. A conoidal musket ball, entering an inch to the inner side of the right femoral artery, two inches below Poupart's Ligament, had passed backwards and downwards, shattering the neck and trochanters of the femur, and lodged against the tochanter minor. On May 27th, Assitant Surgeon George A. Mursick, U.S. Vols., made a vertival incision over the great trochanters, six inches in length, and extricated the ball and splinters, and excised the head, neck and trochanters of the femur. During the operation, anaesthesia was maintaiend by ether. The shock of the operation was great, and reaction was tardy. On the succeeding day there was much nervous agitation, the pulse was frequent and feeble, the tongue dry, and thrist excessive. On June 1st, these unfavorable symptoms had disappeared; the wound looked well, and discharged laudable pus. From this date, a tonic and supporting regimen was diligently enforced, and the patient's progress towards recovery was satisfactory. In November, 1864, and again in February, 1865, abcesses formed in the thigh, but, after poulticing and incision, they gave little irouble [sic]. In April, 1865, Wright moved about on cruches. On the 17th of April, he was discharged from the hospital and from the service of the United States. There was still a trifling fistulous orifice near the acetabulum; but the general health was excellent, and the prospect of ultimate recovery most encouraging. For a long time it was impossible to obtain any intelligence of Wright; but, in the summer of 1866, it was learned that he was an inmate of an Alms House in Orange, New Jersey. Subsequently he was employed as a day laborer. In October, 1868, he was in good helath and could walk without a cane, and had been for some time an hod carrier. He had very satisfactory control over all the movemnets of the mutilated limb. He received a government pension of fiteen dollars a month. The fragments of bone removed are numbered 3375 in the Surgeon Section of the Army Medical Museum.
Photographed at the Army Medcial Museum.
BY ORDER OF THE SURGEON GENERAL:
GEORGE A. OTIS,
Bv't Lt. Col. and Ass't Surg. U.S.A. Curator A.M.M.
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