Nyctalopia

[lelliott19]

Nyctalopia - night blindness; inability to see well at night or in poor light. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem. This first case was probably caused by a detached or partially detached retina resulting from a head wound. Nyctalopia was most commonly caused by Vitamin A deficiency. See an example of that kind in post #8 below.

Robert M. Barnes of Co B, Cobb's Legion Infantry (carded record below) received a GSW to the head in May 1864 at the Wilderness or Spotsylvania and was hospitalized May 15, 1864. Appears on the morning report at Jackson Hospital, Richmond, on August 7, 1864 with nyctalopia.

He was returned to duty August 18, 1864 and captured at Cedar Creek Oct 19, 1864.

Conclusion: Barnes' GSW to the head may have healed in 3 months, but he seems to have suffered a partially detached retina, leaving him with "night blindness."

 

[UCVRelics]

That explains mine

 

[mofederal]

I have never seen this before on any paperwork from the Civil War. It is different. I have ran into some odd things on WWII separation papers and on Purple Heart notations.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Awesome name! Goodness. One of those, you save for the right moment and drag out, knowing no one can argue with you because they're clueless, too. I don't know. Like what on earth came over you, leaving your car in a no parking zone like that.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Awesome name! Goodness. One of those, you save for the right moment and drag out, knowing no one can argue with you because they're clueless, too.

Hahaa, exactly, and whoever filled in the form struggled with the name also, because it reads "Nyctilopia" instead of "Nyctalopia", as correctly stated by @lelliott19
Great thread again, thanks for sharing!

 

[lelliott19]

I have never seen this before on any paperwork from the Civil War. It is different. I have ran into some odd things on WWII separation papers and on Purple Heart notations.

It is the first case I have run across as well. I try to post the most unusual ones whenever I run across them....

 

[BlueNGrey]

First time I saw the word "presbyopia", I thought it was a lack of being able to see presbyterians.

 

[lelliott19]

Another case of Nyctalopia this one likely related to a Vitamin A deficiency - not a result of a head wound as the previous example.

William Martin, Irish Immigrant Sergeant Major of the 11th Georgia. Born December 25, 1841 in Ireland, Martin enlisted as a Private in Company K, 11th Georgia on July 3, 1861 at Atlanta. He was promoted through the ranks to Sergeant Major. Carded records reveal he was 22 years old with dark hair, black eyes, and a fair complexion standing 5 feet 8 inches tall. He reported his place of birth as Ireland; his residence as Houston County, GA; and his occupation as ditcher.

A detailed regimental casualty list published in the Weekly Chronicle & Sentinel August 04, 1863 reports that Martin was wounded in the shoulder at Gettysburg. This is confirmed by carded records. He was transported to Chimborazo Hospital, No. 4 in Richmond by July 16, 1863 and treated for a left shoulder wound with notation "severe flesh." Martin was furloughed August 5, 1863. His recovery seems to have been complicated and lengthy, but he eventually returned to the regiment in January 1864.

On October 7, 1864, he was admitted to Jackson Hospital Richmond for Nyctalopia (night blindness) and returned to duty October 13, 1864. Six days. Today, with concentrated Vitamin A, diet-induced Nyctalopia can improve quickly. Visual function begins to recover almost immediately after vitamin A reaches the retina. Patients often report "sudden visual recovery" within a few days of starting therapy. But back then, they didn't have concentrated Vitamin A supplements. Resolution of Nyctalopia would have been dependent on Vitamin A in the diet. I doubt it was completely resolved in just 6 days - but maybe.

It appears the surgeon tried to discharge him for Nyctalopia, but Martin evidently refused. Or maybe the issue resolved in 6-days? Either way, William Martin served until the end and was captured at Sailor's Creek April 6, 1865. He pledged the oath of allegiance at Newport News June 25, 1865 and returned to Georgia where he married Susan Clifton Marshall October 2, 1866. The couple had four children. The family was enumerated on the 1870 US Census, Houston County, Georgia. Martin died October 3, 1895 at the age of 53 years old. (Weekly Chronicle & Sentinel. (Augusta, GA), August 04, 1863, 4.; Compiled service record William Martin; 1870 US Census, Houston County, Georgia.)

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Nyctalopia - night blindness; inability to see well at night or in poor light. It is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem, usually a retina problem.

Robert M. Barnes of Co B, Cobb's Legion Infantry (carded record below) received a GSW to the head in May 1864 at the Wilderness or Spotsylvania and was hospitalized May 15, 1864. Appears on the morning report at Jackson Hospital, Richmond, on August 7, 1864 with nyctalopia.

He was returned to duty August 18, 1864 and captured at Cedar Creek Oct 19, 1864.

Conclusion: Barnes' GSW to the head may have healed in 3 months, but he seems to have suffered a partially detached retina, leaving him with "night blindness."

View attachment 164133

Thanks - I never heard the term.

 

[lelliott19]

Thanks - I never heard the term.

Night blindness was a pretty common complaint. Nyctalopia is just the "official" or scientific medical term. It could be caused by a detached or partially detached retina (like in the first example) or more commonly, by Vitamin A deficiency (as in the latest example in Post #8.)

Unfortunately, a lot of Civil War Surgeons didn't understand nutritional science. Soldiers with diet-induced Nyctalopia often recovered quickly with the improved hospital diet - which might include meat and/or vegetables. So soldiers who complained of Nyctalopia were often accused of malingering and the rapid recovery cited as "proof" that they were attempting to avoid duty.