Captain Sleigh, of the 100th Regiment, was wounded at the battle of Chippewa, on the 5th of July, 1814, by a musket-ball, which entered the left groin immediately over Poupart’s ligament, by the side of the spermatic vessels, injuring in its course the anterior brim of the pelvis. It thence passed through the bladder obliquely across the pelvis, and terminated its course beneath the integuments in the right buttock, whence it was immediately extracted. Blood and urine flowed incessantly from the groin; the quantity of blood lost was considerable. He complained much of pain in the hypogastric region; the abdomen was tense and painful to the touch, and he had an almost continued inclination to micturate; but his attempts, after the most painful efforts, were entirely frustrated. The anxiety was great, the respiration hurried, and the pulse quick and fluttering. He was bled to the extent of thirty ounces; an enema was given; fomentations applied to the belly; and the catheter introduced—all which afforded him some relief. The next day he was removed to the rear, a distance of seventeen miles, in an open wagon, partly during the inclemency of the night, and was quite worn out by so long a journey. He was carried thence on board ship, and landed at York on the morning of the 9th of July, the fourth day after he received his wound.
July 9th.—Abdomen tense and painful to the touch; severe pain in the perineum; great inclination to void urine, but fruitlessly; wound in the groin sloughy, discharges urine and blood mixed with a small quantity of pus; posterior wound healthy, no discharge of urine from it; catheter attempted to be passed without success. Ordered an ounce and a half of castor-oil immediately.
10th.—Passed a restless night; had two copious stools; voided a few drops of urine by the urethra; still great inclination to pass urine. Ordered two grains of extract of opium made into a pill.
11th.—All the painful sensations much relieved; abdomen less tense; a small piece of bone extracted from the urethra about an inch in length, of the thickness of a crow-quill; a little urine followed more freely.
15th.—Complains of severe pain in the spermatic cord; discharge from groin more offensive; wound filled with large maggots; bowels open.
19th.—Wound of groin looks clean; a small piece of bone discharged by the urethra, and a piece of cloth extracted from the groin.
24th.—A small piece of bone extracted from the groin.
August 5th.—Passes a good deal of pus and urine by the urethra.
29th.—Posterior wound much inflamed and very painful upon pressure. A poultice to be frequently applied.
Sept. 1st.—An abscess has burst; a piece of cloth has been extracted; urine and pus are discharged by both wounds.