Civil War-Surgeon General’s Office, Army Medical Museum

This rare collection of 20 CDVs filled a small CDV album. Many of the CDVs have the following backmark: “Surgeon General’s Office/Army Medical Museum/Photographic Series.” Some of the CDVs have no backmark but are clearly from this same collection. Several have handwritten annotations on verso which are cited below. At a time before the existence of x-rays, the photographs of anatomical samples of bone and other tissue were used for teaching purposes. The images are now available individually as marked. My general practice is to remove sold items from my website but in this case I will indicate those that are sold and leave them on the page so that the illustrations of the entire album remain for those who might like to see them.

CWCDV1034. SOLD

CWCDV1035. SOLD

CWCDV1036. Private John F. Reardon, company C, 6th New York Cavalry, aged 22 years, was wounded at Culpepper, Va., October 11th, 1863, and entered Armory Square U.S. General Hospital, at Washington, on the following day. It was found that his right humerus was shattered by a fragment of shell, which was removed from its lodgment under the deltoid muscle, and proved to be four inches long and one inch broad. The head and upper third of the shaft of the humerus were then excised through a straight incision. The patient recovered without a bad symptom, and with a very useful arm. In January, 1865, when the photograph was taken, the freedom and power of the movements of the limb were remarkable. The specimen and the foregoing details of the case were contributed by the operator, Surgeon D.W. Bliss, U.S. Vols., in charge of Armory Square Hospital. SOLD

CWCDV1037. Surgeon General’s Office. Army Medical Museum. Specimen No. 1931. Excised Head and Comminuted Upper Portion of Shaft of Left Humerus, with a Conoidal Musket Ball. Private Jennison L. Erving, Co. L, 8^th Illinois Cavalry, was wounded at Rixeyville, Va., on November 8^th, 1863, by a conoidal musket ball. He was on horseback, with his left side towards the enemy, when the projectile struck the outer border of the left scapula, and, glancing upwards, shattered the neck and upper portion of the shaft of the left humerus. The humerus was badly comminuted, and its head was displaced from the glenoid cavity, but there as no lesion of important vessels or nerves.
Primary excision was performed by Surgeon E.W.H. Peck, 45^th Indiana Vols., through a single straight incision. The head and fragments of four inches of the shaft were removed. The wound was closed by sutures and adhesive strips. The following day the patient rode twenty-two miles in an ambulance to the Cavalry Corps Hospital, and was transferred a few days subsequently to Columbian College Hospital, at Washington. In the middle of January, 1864, an abscess formed in the deltoid region, and a small fragment of necrosed bone was eliminated. By the end of January the wound was entirely healed.
On March 25^th, 1864, the hospital report states that Erving could slightly flex the left fore-arm, and that the power of pronation and supination and of moving the hand was perfect.
Erving was discharged from service September 26^th, 1864. On June 25^th, 1865, he visited the Army Medical Museum, and a photograph was then taken to accompany the specimen. He had little motion at the left shoulder-joint; but the movements of the fore-arm were unimpaired.
Photographed at the Army Medical Museum by Order of the Surgeon George A. Otis, Surg. U.S.V., Curator, A.M.M.
This lot includes the CDV ONLY. The two additional photographs are NOT included but are shown for identifications purposes only. SOLD

CWCDV1038. SOLD

CWCDV1039. This appears to show elephantiasis of the penis and testicles in a soldier with a leg amputation. $OLD

CWCDV1040. Identified in image as Maj. C.W. Hobbs, 7 NY H.A. Hobbs enlisted on 8/19/1862 at Albany, NY as a 2nd Lieutenant. On 8/19/1862 he was commissioned into “G” Co. NY 7th Heavy Artillery. He was Mustered Out on 7/3/1865 at Ft Federal Hill, Baltimore, MD. (Subsequent service in US Army from 09/21/1867) He was listed as: * Wounded 6/3/1864 Cold Harbor, VA (Wounded in left leg & left hand). Promotions: * 1st Lieut 6/22/1863; * Capt 11/12/1864 (As of Co. D); * Major 3/22/1865; * 1st Lieut 9/21/1867 by Brevet (Spottsylvania Court House, VA); * Capt 9/21/1867 by Brevet (Cold Harbor, VA). Intra Regimental Company Transfers: * 11/12/1864 from company G to company D; * 3/22/1865 from company D to Field & Staff. $1200

CWCDV1041. Manuscript on verso “Dr. Bontecou’s case of necrosis of tibia A.M.M. Specimen 3601.” Born and raised in Troy, Dr. Reed Bontecou was a surgeon in the 2nd NY Infantry during the Civil War and was among the first surgeons to treat battle injuries during the war. While in charge at Harewood General Hospital, Dr. Bontecou’s interest as an amateur photographer led him to document patients with combat and war injuries. SOLD

CWCDV1042. SOLD

CWCDV1043. $OLD

CWCDV1044. $OLD

CWCDV1045. $OLD

CWCDV1046. SOLD

CWCDV1047. SOLD

CWCDV1048. Imprinted on verso “T. & N. Douglas Hospital.” Manuscript on verso “Exfoliation 7 3/4 inch long from thigh stump of Jas. McMahon. Showing a recovery from osteomyelitis.” This is probably Joseph McMahon, enlisted on 10/1/1862 at New York City, NY as a Private. On 10/1/1862 he mustered into “K” Co. NY 61st Infantry. He was Mustered Out on 10/18/1865 at New York, NY. He was listed as: * Wounded 5/8/1864 Spotsylvania Court House, VA. Intra Regimental Company Transfers: * 12/21/1864 from company K to company F.

Douglas Hospital was located in a row of three brick houses in Washington DC: Douglas, Breckenridge, and Rice. The houses, known as “Minnesota’s Row,” ran very near to Stanton General Hospital. At the closing of Douglas General Hospital, the patients were moved to Harewood General Hospital. The National Republican reported the opening of this hospital on Jan. 1, 1862, with the information that the building was “the late Senator Douglas’s mansion.” SOLD

CWCDV1049. SOLD