Nyctalopia

lelliott19

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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."


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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!
 
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....
 
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