This is DIFFICULT

[Michael ONeil]

US Civil War navy hospital admission paper - difficult to read and guess given the medical subject. It's about an ancestor of mine who died of typhoid June 1862. My best effort so far...

John O'Neill 2nd C. F. aet 21 nativity N. York shipped N. York went upon list June 10th complaining of violent pain in bowels - bowels constipated. tongue (clean or clear) and red. some fever. pulse above normal. Treatment gave him a (alium ricine ??) (tinct opiglla XX). applied mustard plaster to stomach. June 11th still had some fever. pain in abdomen. tongue reddish. gave him (calomel gr VIII) (potash nitrate gr XVI) (Lacach Alb ?II) (Down or Low in pulse VIII) one every two hours. June 12th 13th and (15 day or today) his symptoms are more aggravated. still great pain upon pressure in abdomen - low stage of fever. delirium. very weak. gave him (quinine sulphia gr 1/4) () in () - beef tea whiskey. Disease originated while in discharge of duty.

Wm S. Frost

Assist Surgeon

U. Govt


OK I think aet is from aetatis meaning at the age of.
Mustard plaster is still mustard plaster.
Tinct opiglla is probably opium according to a doctor I know.
He also said “Several other things I don't recognise.”
Alium ricine could be garlic and ricin.
Calomel is mercury
gr could be grammes as in gr VIII is 8 grammes

[Richard Knott]

The second smiley may be 'in dei' (per day) although I would have expected it to be preceded by a number in Latin or something like 'omne'.

Richard

[avm228]

"Gr" I would think is likely to be grains, a unit of pharmaceutical measurement.

[Michael ONeil]

Can't see any problems with either suggestion folks.

Looks like it might be "...1/4 gr (grains or grammes) tea in dei - beef tea whiskey" First tea looks very much like the second?

[Geoff-E]

150 years have passed and Americans still don't "do" grams.  It must be grains.
 

[Eidde]

Oleum ricini = castor oil. I remember it well 

[majm]

Oleum ricini = castor oil. I remember it well 

I remember it ...... but not sure about 'well'

Head forced back, then nose held, someone then forces open the mouth, and then a spoon full is poured down back of throat, and then mouth held shut, and then someone claps their hands to frighten you into swallowing.   

All this to ensure my siblings and I were "regular in our habits" ......

[Michael ONeil]

Yuk - it was cod liver oil for us to make sure our young supple bones didn't suddenly seize up!!!
Well done folks for the Oleum ricini - another bit chipped away - I think it now reads as follows with bits in red still not sure, brackets and upper case definitions and (per day) for in dei...

John O'Neill 2nd C. F. aet 21 nativity N. York shipped N. York went upon list June 10th complaining of violent pain in bowels - bowels constipated. tongue clean and red. some fever. pulse above normal. Treatment gave him a oleum ricini (CASTOR OIL) (XX tinct opiglla XX). applied mustard plaster to stomach. June 11th still had some fever. pain in abdomen. tongue reddish. gave him (calomel gr VIII) (MERCURY) (potash nitrate gr XVI) (SALTPETRE) (Lacach Alb ?II) dei in pulv (per day in powder) VIII one every two hours. June 12th 13th and 15 day his symptoms are more aggravated. still great pain upon pressure in abdomen - low stage of fever. delirium. very weak. gave him quinine sulphia (QUININE SULPHATE) gr 1/4 tea in dei (per day) - beef tea. Whiskey. Disease originated while in discharge of duty.

Wm S. Frost

Assist Surgeon


I was wondering whether Lacach Alb could derive from lachryma papaveris (opium). But then ahain the first letter of Lacach might be an S?

[avm228]

I'm confused about "in dei" being interpreted as "per day".  I am no classicist but as far as I know "per diem" is what that would be in Latin.