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A few months ago, I posted a thread proposing that, in general, civil war surgeons are underrated.* Here is another example of a difficult operation, skillfully and successfully performed.
Skillful Surgical Operation - We were shown, yesterday, a tumor that had been extracted from the throat of Lieut. Wm. J. Underwood, late of Crawford's Cavalry, by Drs. Wingfield, Colzey and Baird. It was a fibrous tumor, as large as a guinea egg, that had grown in the throat, just anterior to the palate, almost preventing articulation and threatening to suffocate the patient. Its formation had been rapid, and it was of a firm and tough character. The operation was very skillfully performed, by an incision of the tumor through the mouth and its extraction by the roots, the patient being under the influence of chloroform and suffering but little. When we saw Mr. Underwood he was experiencing no pain and felt greatly relieved. The operation, we understand, is one of an uncommon character, necessarily dangerous and requiring much skill for its successful performance. ~ Enquirer.
[The Weekly Sun. (Columbus, Ga.), April 07, 1863, page 4.]
THE PATIENT
William J. Underwood, age 29, originally enlisted April 20, 1861 at Columbus, Georgia as a corporal into Company A 2nd Georgia Battalion Infantry for one year. He was discharged for disability on January 23, 1862 at Norfolk, Virginia. At that time, he was recorded as follows: born in Russell County, Alabama, 30 years of age, 6 feet high, fair complexion, dark eyes, dark hair, and by occupation when enlisted Lawyer. His disability was described as "repeated attacks of remittent fever which has so destroyed his health & injured his constitution as to unfit him for labor or exposure of any kind whatever."
Two and a half months later, Underwood reenlisted April 17, 1862 at Columbus, Georgia as 2nd Sergeant, into Captain Beverly A Thornton's Company, Crawford's Regiment Georgia Cavalry, which became Company B, 3rd Georgia Cavalry. He was captured at New Haven, MS (date not recorded) and sent to Cairo, Illinois. He was transferred to Vicksburg for exchange October 25, 1862. His surgery was reported April 7, 1863, and on Company Muster Roll dated June 30- Dec 31, 1863, soon after recovering from the surgery, he is recorded as with the Division wagon train at Cartersville, Ga. He resigned May 19, 1864 (reason not stated.)
THE DOCTORS
Dr. Eugene Francis Colzey (unknown - 25 December 1878) Surgeon 3rd Georgia Cavalry, appointed July 22, 1862. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27307797/e_-f_-colzey
Dr. Alonzo Church Wingfield (1826 - 2 April 1865)
"About the first of April [1865] a difficulty occurred on the streets between Dr. A.C. Wingfield, a physician of established reputation and much respected citizen, and Dr. Rossey, in which pistol shots were exchanged, and Dr. Wingfield was killed. Dr. Rossey was acquitted on the ground of justifiable homicide. He was only a transient resident of Columbus." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179302740/alonzo-church-wingfield
Dr Baird is probably Wiley M Baird - records exist for a surgeon by that name, who served at Dalton, GA, but records do not exist placing him at Columbus at the time of the surgery.
*NOTE: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/civil-war-surgeons-underrated.154115/ I'm not claiming that there weren't problems with hospital systems, sanitation, ambulance corps, post-operative care, transportation systems, or supply logistics. Nor am I claiming that there were no incompetent surgeons appointed, lacking in proper medical training or experience - there certainly were some. I'm making my claim based on the surgical skill exhibited by qualified surgeons of the time. It is my hypothesis that the failure of many surgical procedures was not a result of skill and expertise of the surgeon, but rather resultant from lack of quality of post-operative care; inefficiency of anesthesia; poor sanitation; lack of understanding of aseptic technique; and difficulty in obtaining medical supplies and equipment.
[The Weekly Sun. (Columbus, Ga.), April 07, 1863, page 4.]
Skillful Surgical Operation - We were shown, yesterday, a tumor that had been extracted from the throat of Lieut. Wm. J. Underwood, late of Crawford's Cavalry, by Drs. Wingfield, Colzey and Baird. It was a fibrous tumor, as large as a guinea egg, that had grown in the throat, just anterior to the palate, almost preventing articulation and threatening to suffocate the patient. Its formation had been rapid, and it was of a firm and tough character. The operation was very skillfully performed, by an incision of the tumor through the mouth and its extraction by the roots, the patient being under the influence of chloroform and suffering but little. When we saw Mr. Underwood he was experiencing no pain and felt greatly relieved. The operation, we understand, is one of an uncommon character, necessarily dangerous and requiring much skill for its successful performance. ~ Enquirer.
[The Weekly Sun. (Columbus, Ga.), April 07, 1863, page 4.]
THE PATIENT
William J. Underwood, age 29, originally enlisted April 20, 1861 at Columbus, Georgia as a corporal into Company A 2nd Georgia Battalion Infantry for one year. He was discharged for disability on January 23, 1862 at Norfolk, Virginia. At that time, he was recorded as follows: born in Russell County, Alabama, 30 years of age, 6 feet high, fair complexion, dark eyes, dark hair, and by occupation when enlisted Lawyer. His disability was described as "repeated attacks of remittent fever which has so destroyed his health & injured his constitution as to unfit him for labor or exposure of any kind whatever."
Two and a half months later, Underwood reenlisted April 17, 1862 at Columbus, Georgia as 2nd Sergeant, into Captain Beverly A Thornton's Company, Crawford's Regiment Georgia Cavalry, which became Company B, 3rd Georgia Cavalry. He was captured at New Haven, MS (date not recorded) and sent to Cairo, Illinois. He was transferred to Vicksburg for exchange October 25, 1862. His surgery was reported April 7, 1863, and on Company Muster Roll dated June 30- Dec 31, 1863, soon after recovering from the surgery, he is recorded as with the Division wagon train at Cartersville, Ga. He resigned May 19, 1864 (reason not stated.)
THE DOCTORS
Dr. Eugene Francis Colzey (unknown - 25 December 1878) Surgeon 3rd Georgia Cavalry, appointed July 22, 1862. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27307797/e_-f_-colzey
Dr. Alonzo Church Wingfield (1826 - 2 April 1865)
"About the first of April [1865] a difficulty occurred on the streets between Dr. A.C. Wingfield, a physician of established reputation and much respected citizen, and Dr. Rossey, in which pistol shots were exchanged, and Dr. Wingfield was killed. Dr. Rossey was acquitted on the ground of justifiable homicide. He was only a transient resident of Columbus." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179302740/alonzo-church-wingfield
Dr Baird is probably Wiley M Baird - records exist for a surgeon by that name, who served at Dalton, GA, but records do not exist placing him at Columbus at the time of the surgery.
*NOTE: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/civil-war-surgeons-underrated.154115/ I'm not claiming that there weren't problems with hospital systems, sanitation, ambulance corps, post-operative care, transportation systems, or supply logistics. Nor am I claiming that there were no incompetent surgeons appointed, lacking in proper medical training or experience - there certainly were some. I'm making my claim based on the surgical skill exhibited by qualified surgeons of the time. It is my hypothesis that the failure of many surgical procedures was not a result of skill and expertise of the surgeon, but rather resultant from lack of quality of post-operative care; inefficiency of anesthesia; poor sanitation; lack of understanding of aseptic technique; and difficulty in obtaining medical supplies and equipment.
[The Weekly Sun. (Columbus, Ga.), April 07, 1863, page 4.]