The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-26
"E1traordinary Surgical Operation"

~t~SA~e--s
Under this head we find in the Anderson Is. CO.
In,elligencer, Of Wednesday, an account OF an in
teresting case operated upon by DIR. THOMAS A.
Evrss, OF Anderson, assisted by Prof. F. T. MILES,
of this city, and four other physicians. The fol-
lowing are the notes We find in the LnteQigencer:
Private George L. Schrimp, Co. G, Palmetto
Sharp Shooters s. G. ", twenty-five years OF age,
about five feet ten inches high, spare form, good
the second battle cf Manassas, Va, on the S0th
of August, 1862, by an ounce bal! from spherical
case The ball perforated an oil cloth folded around
q small tent fly and the belt of bis cartridge box
and about two inches below the last rib and pene-
tratine The cavity Of tho abdomen. The wound
was at the time pronounced mortal by the attend
inc Surgeons. He remained at tho Field Inhrma-
nv four or five days, when he was transferred to
the hospital at Warrenton, Va, where he remained
iouoh and came to his home in Anderson District,
8. G. He returned to the army about the 1st OF
March, 1863, reported for duty, and served 10 the
close OF the war-was present OF the surrender OF
Gen Lees army at Appomattox, on the 9TH day OF
Anrl 1865, at which time ho returned to his home,
where he has boen actively engaged in farming,
suffering no inconvenience from his wound up to
the 28th of May, 1867, on which day he was plow-
ing in the fold, when he felt something drop
somewhere in his abdomen. he was lmm9edately
great pain and difficulty in voldlng urine. he was
Considerably alarmed, and came the next day to
consult me. After detailing the symptoms, told
him he had some foreign body IN his bladder !;
he thea informed me of the wounl, (of which
was not previously aware), and showed me the
cicatrice where the ball entered. then gave
the opinion it was the ball in the bladder sound
cd the bladder in preseuce OF III. a: a, Esl.is, anu
immediately struck the ball. On tho Sd OF August,
I performed the lateral operation, (usuai opera
ton OF Iithotomy), and extracted IN ounce paii,
slightly flattened on one side, and covered with
minute shining crystals Of phosphate or nme
| about one-sxth OF the circumference OF the pall
was covered with thick deposit OF the same salt.
| How did the ball get into the BLADDER IL Ger
tanly was not in the bladder, that is, free IN the
cavity of that viscus previous to the 2Sth OF May,
when he felt it distinctly drop, and up to Which
time it's presence in that organ was not m9nlfestGd
| by O single one OF the usual symptoms IL could
not have penetrated ut the time OF RECEIVING itne
wound or there would have been eXtrayesaton OF
urine into the cavity of the abdomen, winch would
have been necessarily mortal. The only ratlonal
explanation is, that the ball perforated the exteT-
nal coats pushing the internal before, Witnout
producing any solution of continuity IN that coat,
thus preventing any escape OF urine until III Ihe
outer coats uni :ed and closed the opening; Inc Inc
N ball was suspended in tho interior OF the pauuer
\ by the inyaginated mucus membrane 1or nearly
five years, until by it's weight it probably produced
ABSORPTION OF the thin and delicate membrane, and
wearing its way gradually through by aterlton uD-
til it dropped into the bladder.
Tho deposit on the ball shows that portlon OF u
the ball as exposed to the urine long pe1ore II
dropped into the bladder.