Portions of humerus removed for an ununited fracture after gunshot wound
Dublin Core
Title
Portions of humerus removed for an ununited fracture after gunshot wound
Subject
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medical care
Osteopathic medicine
Gunshot wounds
human remains
Description
Case history:From an unidentified soldier whose arm was shattered by gunshot in mid-April 1862. Immediately after the injury fragments were removed from the arm, the ends of the fractured bone were sawed off, and fit together. After six months without union, the bones were sawed again and subsequently wired together, but without effect.
The soldier entered Massachusetts General Hospital on November 3, 1865. At that time the arm swung freely without pain. Surgeon Henry Jacob Bigelow removed three more pieces of bone with a trephine, scraped the interiors with a gouge, wired the two sections together, and splinted the arm exterior. No union occurred.
On March 1, 1866 Bigelow performed a second operation with further bone removal and wiring resulting in a stiffening of arm, but patient fell on June 10, 1866 and re-broke the humerus. On January 12, 1867 a third operation was performed with further wiring resulting in paralysis of the upper arm, although no nerve was known to be severed. This operation resulted in union of the fracture but the paralysis continued. The post-operative arm was seven inches shorter than the patient's healthy arm.
Inscription: Historical tag "1008 Civil War" attched to preparation; "Civil War 1008 12-3 [MH or WH]" written on the underside of the base in pencil.
The soldier entered Massachusetts General Hospital on November 3, 1865. At that time the arm swung freely without pain. Surgeon Henry Jacob Bigelow removed three more pieces of bone with a trephine, scraped the interiors with a gouge, wired the two sections together, and splinted the arm exterior. No union occurred.
On March 1, 1866 Bigelow performed a second operation with further bone removal and wiring resulting in a stiffening of arm, but patient fell on June 10, 1866 and re-broke the humerus. On January 12, 1867 a third operation was performed with further wiring resulting in paralysis of the upper arm, although no nerve was known to be severed. This operation resulted in union of the fracture but the paralysis continued. The post-operative arm was seven inches shorter than the patient's healthy arm.
Inscription: Historical tag "1008 Civil War" attched to preparation; "Civil War 1008 12-3 [MH or WH]" written on the underside of the base in pencil.
Abstract
Seven fragments of humeral bone and a silver wire mounted on a black wooden base wire.
Creator
Bigelow, Henry Jacob (physician)
Morrison, Paul (photographer)
Date Created
Undated
Rights
The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all the materials in the collection. For use information, contact the Warren Anatomical Museum Curator at chm@hms.harvard.edu
Access Rights
Accessing collections in the Warren Anatomical Museum and the Warren Anatomical Museum archive requires advanced notice. Please submit a request to Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu to access the displayed item
Is Part Of
Warren Anatomical Museum
Format
model
Medium
Bone, metal, wood
Type
physical object
Identifier
01008
Provenance
Donated by Henry Jacob Bigelow, M.D., in 1868.
Files
Collection
Citation
Bigelow, Henry Jacob (physician) and Morrison, Paul (photographer), “Portions of humerus removed for an ununited fracture after gunshot wound,” OnView, accessed April 27, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/6116.