Hello.
The illustrious Probonopublico-ga has correctly identified "friendly
fire" as the initial cause of Jackson's injuries.
However, although Jackson's own doctors did cite "pleuro-pneumonia" as
Jackson's cause of death, some modern medical experts believe that
Jackson may actually have died from some intra-abdominal pathology
(e.g., gall bladder, duodenum, pancreas and physiology of renal
dysfunction associated with trauma) or possibly a blood clot to the
lung.
For details about Jackson's initial injuries, see:
"The Last Illness and Death of General Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson"
By Beverly C. Smith, M.D., hosted by Virginia Military Institute:
http://www.vmi.edu/archives/Jackson/tjjartl.html
Dr Smith writes:
"The cause of Jackson's death is medically unknown except for Dr.
McGuire's diagnosis of pleuro-pneumonia (an 1863 medical term). Dr.
McGuire's recitation of Jackson's symptoms is not completely
diagnostic in modern medical parlance. He lost whatever records he had
when he lost his ambulance containing the records as he fled up the
Valley with Early, ahead of Sheridan."
"I sent this essay around to ten friends of mine--surgeons in charge
of departments in Medical Schools. It elicited a surprising amount of
interest and discussion. The opinion of almost all of these was that
Jackson had some intra-abdominal pathology--i.e. below his diaphragm
which either precipitated or was concomitant with his pulmonary
pathology which might have been terminal and not primary. Only one
distinguished surgeon, a midwesterner transferred to a Southern School
admitted he knew little or nothing about Jackson. The opinions were
not unanimous and concerned his gall bladder, duodenum, pancreas and
physiology of renal dysfunction associated with trauma (acute kidney
pathology)."
source:
Page 2
"The Last Illness and Death of General Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson"
By Beverly C. Smith, M.D.
http://www.vmi.edu/archives/Jackson/tjjartl2.html
Additional sources:
"There is considerable discussion though as to what exactly caused Jackson's
death. His wound by all accounts was not contaminated.
Some argue he had pneumonia, a pulmonary embolus from the vein at the
amputation site lodged in his lung or some intra-abdominal pathology..."
source:
Evaluating famous fatalities from the Civil War
ADVANCE for Occupational Therapists Issue Date: 7/17/2000, hosted by nvrha.com:
http://www.nvrha.com/NEWS.HTM
"The author, himself a physician, believes that Jackson died of a
pulmonary embolism, or blood clot to the lung, not pneumonia as
McGuire had diagnosed."
source:
"Dr. Hunter McGuire, Stonewall Jackson's 27-year-old medical director,
chronicled the general's last days."
By Joe D. Haines, Jr., hosted by CivilWarHistory.com
http://www.civilwarhistory.com/articles/Jackson/Eyewitness%20Stonewall%20Jackson's%20Final%20Days.htm
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search strategy:
"stonewall jackson died"
"pleuro pneumonia" stonewall jackson
I hope this helps. |
