June 15, 2010

John F. Claghorn, Civil War Veteran



Together, these two photos tell a story that I can't imagine living through. Why did they remove the bone and not the arm? Did he retain use of that hand?

Newark, NJ
1860s
from New York Public Library

10 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

I am completely mystified by these pictures. I can't imagine how the hand would work with the bones gone. Although I'm not sure that ALL the bones are gone. Possibly not. Look down there by the wrist. Looks like a wrist bone, no? Could be that "just" the humerus has been removed and not the ulna or radius.
I just don't know.

Sarcastic Bastard said...

GROSS.

rockygrace said...

Oh my .....

Excuse me while I go scrub that image out of my head.

That Hank said...

Even if the hand still works, wouldn't it be like having a grabber on the end of a rope?

May said...

I'm surprised Juancho let you take his picture with his shirt all hanging off like that.

That Hank said...

Aw, broken Juancho.

Anonymous said...

maybe the bones fell out of their own accord, or maybe his body rejected the bones. i prefer to believe it was not malicious or painful. just inconvenient. love, taylor

Northman said...

They actually thought at the time that the bone would grow back.

Northman said...

So the surgeons would remove the bone in belief that a new one would grow back.

That Hank said...

That has to have wound up disappointing for the patient.