Did a Lady Develop into Pregnant from a Civil Conflict Bullet?

Generally touted because the origin of the phrase “son of a gun,” the apocryphal story of “the bullet by means of the balls” is a well-traveled legend, typically reported by such notorious city legend vectors as “Expensive Abby,” as on this instance from her 6 November 1982 column:

Evidently in the course of the Civil Conflict (Could 12, 1863, to be precise), a younger Virginia farm woman was standing on her entrance porch whereas a battle was raging close by. A stray bullet first handed by means of the scrotum of a younger Union cavalryman, then lodged within the reproductive tract of the younger lady, who thus grew to become pregnant by a person she had not been inside 100 toes of! And 9 months later she gave beginning to a wholesome child!

The story, in truth, is totally false. The declare for the miraculous “bullet being pregnant” originated with an article that was printed as a joke within the journal The American Medical Weekly on 7 November 1874.

Subsequent journals and books cited the article as reality with out checking the unique supply or realizing that it was a put-on, and the story has been handed down by means of the years as an “precise case that appeared in an actual medical journal a few years in the past.”

The lengthy and tortuous historical past of this legend begins with an article entitled “ATTENTION GYNAECOLOGISTS! — NOTES FROM THE DIARY OF A FIELD AND HOSPITAL SURGEON, C.S.A.” showing beneath the identify of an “L.G. Capers, M.D., Vicksburg, Miss.” within the 7 November 1874 problem of The American Medical Weekly. It recounts the now-familiar story of a Accomplice subject surgeon who dressed the wound of a soldier injured by a bullet that had entered the soldier’s leg, ricocheted off the bone, and carried away his left testicle. Coincidentally, the identical surgeon was then known as upon just a few moments later to manage help to a younger girl who had acquired a gunshot wound to the stomach. Precisely 278 days later, the surgeon returned to the village and delivered a child boy of the wounded ladies, though she steadfastly maintained that she was nonetheless a virgin.

The final tone and magnificence of the article ought to have indicated to the astute reader that the entire thing was a gag. Even when they did not, a minimum of just a few extra apparent clues gave away the joke: The newborn was mentioned to have been born “with one thing improper in regards to the genitals,” and upon examination the surgeon found that the ball which had wounded the soldier and impregnated the lady was lodged within the new child toddler’s scrotum! Much more implausibly, the soldier, when advised of his astonishingly-achieved fatherhood, shortly wed the kid’s mom! For individuals who nonetheless did not catch on to the article’s facetiousness, a notice from the editor explaining that the entire thing was a little bit of “enjoyable” (full with a pun on the putative writer’s identify) was printed in the identical journal two weeks later.

(Observe: The main points of battle given within the authentic article do correspond to precise occasions. In Could of 1863, Union troops beneath the command of Main Basic James B. McPherson set out for Raymond, Mississippi, a city about fifteen miles from Jackson, the state capital. On Could 12 a unit led by Main Basic John A. Logan ran right into a Accomplice brigade beneath the command of Basic John Gregg, and the battle of Raymond ensued, with Gregg finally withdrawing his outnumbered forces from Raymond and heading down the highway to Jackson.)

A number of months later, the British medical journal The Lancet reprinted (parts of) the 1874 article. Then, in 1896, George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle cited (and quoted from) The Lancet as a footnote to a piece about synthetic impregnation of their guide Anomalies and Curiosities of Medication. Even Gould and Pyle appear to have acknowledged the unique article’s drollery, nevertheless, as they point out that it’s included “not as a result of it bears any semblance of risk, however as a curious instance from the realms of creativeness in medication.” F. Donald Napolitani, M.D., evidently did not catch the article’s whimsicality, although, as he offered all the identical particulars as an “authenticated case report” in his 1959 article about “Two Uncommon Instances of Gunshot Wounds of the Uterus” for the New York State Journal of Medication.

From then on, a number of of those sources has been cited as proof of an precise incidence “fastidiously recorded for the annals of drugs” in every part from American Heritage journal to “Expensive Abby,” with every supply accepting the earlier ones’ references as correct citations of a “actual” medical journal article.

The paperwork transcribed beneath embody the unique 1874 article from The American Medical Weekly that began all of it, an editor’s notice from a subsequent problem of the identical publication explaining the entire thing as a gag, an oft misinterpreted summation from the 1896 guide Anomalies and Curiosities of Medication, and a 1959 article from the New York State Journal of Medication by a health care provider who did not fairly get the joke (or do his homework):

 

ATTENTION GYNAECOLOGISTS!–NOTES FROM THE DIARY OF A FIELD AND
HOSPITAL SURGEON, C.S.A.

 

by L.G. Capers, M.D., Vicksburg, Miss.

How widespread it’s now-a-days, and the way pure, too, for males to inform
fantastic tales about “the struggle”; their determined fees; hair-breadth
escapes; numbers who’ve fallen victims to their feats of non-public valor,
and many others., and many others. Then each surgeon has carried out any variety of fantastic
operations earlier than unparalleled within the annals of surgical procedure!

Till the current second, I’ve avoided bringing earlier than the
public, and extra notably the Occupation, any of my daring exploits or
outstanding surgical procedures; and even now I really feel a delicacy in providing the
outstanding case, the relation of which is prompted solely by a way of obligation to
my skilled brethren. Probably many will pronounce the info to be
presently associated as uncommon or not possible; to such I would like solely say, if not,
why not?

Listed here are the proofs:

On the twelfth day of Could, 1863, the battle of R. was fought. Gen. G.’s
brigade met the advance of Grant’s military, beneath Gen. L., about one mile from
the village of R. About 300 yards in rear of my regiment was
located a positive residence, the occupants being a matron, her two daughters,
and servants (the host being absent in one other military). About 3 o’clock P.M.,
when the battle was raging most furiously, the above-mentioned girl and her
two daughters (aged respectively fifteen and seventeen), crammed with curiosity
and enthusiasm, stood bravely in entrance of their homestead, prepared and wanting to
minister to their wounded countrymen whould they fall within the dreadful fray.

Our males have been preventing nobly, however pressed by superior numbers, had
progressively fallen again to inside 100 and fifty yards of the home. My
place being close to my regiment, out of the blue I beheld a noble, gallant younger
pal staggering nearer, after which fall to the earth. In the identical second a
piercing scream from the home reached my ear! I used to be quickly by the aspect of the
younger man, and, upon examination, discovered a compound fracture, with in depth
comminution of the left tibia; the ball having ricochetted from these components,
and, in its onward flight, handed by means of the scrotum, carrying away the left
testicle. Scarcely had I completed dressing the injuries of this poor fellow,
when the estimable matron got here operating to me within the best misery, begging
me to go to one among her daughters, who, she knowledgeable me, had been badly wounded
a couple of minutes earlier than. Hastening to the home, I discovered that the eldest of the
younger girls had certainly acquired a most critical wound. A minnie ball had
penetrated the left stomach parietes, about halfway between the umbilicus and
anterior spinal strategy of the ilium, and was misplaced within the stomach cavity,
leaving a ragged wound behind. Believing there was little or no hope of her
restoration, I had solely time to prescribe an anodyne, when our military fell again,
leaving each subject and village within the fingers of the enemy.

Having remained with my wounded on the village of R., I had the
alternative of visiting the younger girl the following day, and, interruptedly, for a
interval of almost two months, on the finish of which era she had solely
recovered, with no untoward signs throughout remedy; save a extreme
peritonitis, she appeared in addition to ever!

About six months after her restoration, the actions of our military introduced me
once more to the village of R., and I used to be once more despatched for to see the younger girl.
She appeared in wonderful well being and spirits, however her stomach had develop into
enormously enlarged, a lot in order to resemble being pregnant on the seventh or
eighth month. Certainly, had I not recognized the household and the info of the
stomach wound, I ought to have so pronounced the case. Below the above
circumstances, I failed to provide a constructive prognosis, figuring out to maintain the
case beneath surveillance. This I did.

Simply 2 hundred and seventy-eight days from the date of the receipt of
the wound by the minnie ball, I delivered this identical younger girl of a positive boy,
weighing eight kilos. I used to be not very a lot stunned; however think about the
shock and mortification of the younger girl herself, her complete household. This
could be higher imagined than described. Though I discovered the hymen intact in
my examination earlier than supply, I gave no credence to the earnest and
oft-repeated assertions of the younger girl of her innocence and virgin purity.

About three weeks from the date of this outstanding beginning, I used to be known as to
see the kid, the grandmother insisting there was “one thing improper in regards to the
genitals.” Examination revealed an enlarged, swollen, delicate scrotum,
containing on the proper aspect a tough, roughened substance, evidently international.
I made a decision upon working for its elimination without delay, and in so doing, extracted
from the scrotum a minnie ball, mashed and battered as if it had met in its
flight some onerous, unyielding substance.

To aim to image my astonishment could be not possible! What might
already appear very plain to my readers, as they look over this paper, was, to
me, on the time, mysterious. It was solely after a number of days and nights of
sleepless reflection {that a} answer flashed earlier than me, and ever since has
appeared as clear because the noon-day solar!

“What’s it?” The ball I took from the scrotum of the babe was the
equivalent one which, on the twelfth of Could, shattered the tibia of my younger
pal, and in its mutilated situation, plunged by means of his testicle, carrying
with it particles of semen and spermatozoa into the stomach of the younger girl,
then by means of her left ovary, and into the uterus, on this method impregnating
her! There could be no different answer of the phenomenon! These convictions I
expressed to the household, and, at their solicitations, visited my younger soldier
pal, laying the case earlier than him in its correct gentle. At first, most
naturally, he appeared skeptical, however concluded to go to the younger mom.
Whether or not satisfied or not, he quickly married her, ere the little boy had attained
his fourth month.

As a matter of extra curiosity, I’ll point out having acquired a
letter in the course of the previous yr, reporting a contented married state and three
youngsters, however neither resembling, to the identical marked diploma, as the primary — our
hero — Pater familias!

 

THE AMERICAN MEDICAL WEEKLY

 

November 21, 1874

 

 

Editor’s notice

 

DR. L.G. CAPERS, of Vicksburg, Miss., disclaims accountability for the
reality of that outstanding case of impregnation by a minnie ball, as reported in
No. 19 of this Journal. He tells the story because it was advised to him. He does
not say it’s unfaithful, however is disposed to appositely keep in mind the reality of the
outdated adage, that “accidents might occur in one of the best regulated households.” The
joke is, that the Physician reported the case with none signature, however because the
editor is indisposed to be made the sufferer of canards, and acknowledged the
writing despatched, he was unwilling to deprive the writer of the contemplated enjoyable,
and allowed him to get pleasure from much more of this than was anticipated. The readers
have loved the story a lot, however not sufficient “to chop capers” after studying it.

 

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medication

 

The next extraordinary incident of unintended impregnation, quoted from the American Medical Weekly¹ by the Lancet,² is given briefly, not as a result of it bears any semblance of risk, however as a curious instance from the realms of creativeness in medication.

L. G. Capers of Vicksburg, Miss., relates an incident in the course of the late Civil Conflict, as follows:   A matron and her two daughters, aged fifteen and seventeen years, crammed with the passion of patriotism, stood able to minister to the injuries of their countrymen of their positive residence close to the scene of the battle of R______, Could 12, 1863, between a portion of Grant’s military and a few Confederates. Throughout the fray a gallant and noble younger pal of the narrator staggered and fell to the earth; on the identical time a piercing cry was heard in the home close to by. Examination of the wounded soldier confirmed {that a} bullet had handed by means of the scrotum and carried away the left testicle. The identical bullet had apparently penetrated the left aspect of the stomach of the elder younger girl, halfway between the umbilicus and the anterior superior spinous strategy of the ilium, and had develop into misplaced within the stomach. This daughter suffered an assault of peritonitis, however recovered in two months beneath the remedy administered.

Marvelous to narrate, simply 2 hundred and seventy-eight days after the reception of the minnie-ball, she was delivered of a positive boy, weighing 8 kilos, to the shock of herself and the mortification of her dad and mom and buddies. The hymen was intact, and the younger mom strenuously insisted on her virginity and innocence. About three weeks after this outstanding beginning Dr. Capers was known as to see the toddler, and the grandmother insisted that there was one thing improper with the kid’s genitals. Examination confirmed a tough, swollen and delicate scrotum, containing some onerous substance. He operated, and extracted a smashed and battered minie-ball. The physician, after some meditation, theorized on this method:   He concluded that this was the identical ball that had carried away the testicle of his younger pal, that had penetrated the ovary of the younger girl, and, with some spermatozoa upon it, had impregnated her. With this conviction he approached the younger man and advised him the circumstances; the soldier appeared skeptical at first, however consented to go to the younger mom; a friendship ensued which quickly ripened into a contented marriage, and the pair had three youngsters, none resembling, in the identical diploma as the primary, the heroic pater familias.

    ¹131, Nov. 7, 1874.       ²476, 1875, i., 35.

 

New York State Journal of Medication

 

February 1, 1959

 

 

Two Uncommon Instances of Gunshot Wounds of the Uterus

 

 

F. DONALD NAPOLITANI, M.D., BRONX, NEW YORK

 

 

(From the Division of Obstetrics, Harlem Hospital, New York Metropolis)

 

The next two case histories present the range of remedy for gunshot wounds of the uterus. Though not revolutionary in remedy, these two instances are offered for his or her uncommon outcomes. Each instances have been authenticated.

Case Experiences

CASE 2. — This case of a seventeen-year-old woman was reported by Captain L. G. Capers after the Civil Conflict. It’s outstanding in its unusualness and within the remedy of the gunshot wounds of the uterus which resulted.

Whereas stationed with a regiment on Could 12 in the course of the battle of R, his regiment met the advance of the enemy. One mile from the village of R about 100 yards within the rear of the regiment was a positive mansion the place a matron and her two daughters and servants have been standing about 3:00 P.M. within the afternoon. The battle was raging furiously, and the lady and her two daughters have been crammed with excessive curiosity, standing bravely in entrance of the home, hoping to provide a point of help to any of the wounded troopers. Our males have been preventing bravely, however pressed by superior forces, that they had progressively fallen again to about 100 yards of the home.

Since Captain Capers was stationed with the brigade, he out of the blue beheld a gallant younger lad stagger and fall to the earth. On the identical second a piercing scream got here from the neighborhood of the home. The younger man was examined and located to have a compound fracture with in depth involvement of the left tibia. The bullet evidently had ricocheted from the left portion of the stomach and in its upward flight handed by means of the scrotum, carrying away the left testicle. The matron got here operating within the best misery, begging Captain Capers to go to the help of one among her daughters, who had been badly wounded. Just a few moments later, after inspecting the younger girl, who was sitting on the steps and groaning severely, the seriousness of the wound was obvious.

The bullet evidently had perforated the woman’s stomach within the left stomach parietes about halfway between the umbilicus and the inside spinal strategy of the ilium. Evidently the bullet was nonetheless within the spinal canal, and the wound itself was very ragged and irregular. Dressings have been utilized and drugs given, and because the Military had first name on Captain Capers’ providers, he left after prescribing a sedative. The city was quickly left within the fingers of the enemy, however a number of days later the remainder of the brigade settle within the village of R, and Captain Capers had the chance of treating the younger girl for the following few months. It was obvious that she appeared to have recovered from the extreme peritonitis which resulted from the harm.

About six months after her restoration, the motion of our Military once more introduced Captain Capers to the village of R, and once more he was despatched for by the younger girl’s mom. The younger girl herself seemed to be in wonderful well being, however her stomach had develop into enormously enlarged, resembling being pregnant of the seventh or eighth month. Captain Capers acknowledged that if it weren’t for the truth that he knew the harm and had recognized the household, he ought to have recognized the case as a particular being pregnant. Due to this fact, beneath the circumstances, he failed to provide a constructive prognosis, figuring out to maintain the younger girl beneath surveillance.

200 and seventy-eight days from the receipt of the wound by the younger girl, a positive boy weighing 8 kilos was delivered by Captain Capers, since there have been only a few medical doctors out there presently within the neighborhood of the city. The mortification and mystification of the younger girl and her complete household was obvious! The truth is, earlier than the examination Captain Capers acknowledged that he gave no credence to the younger woman’s assertion of her innocence and virgin purity!

About three weeks after this outstanding beginning, the Captain was known as to see the infant by the grandmother, who acknowledged that there was one thing improper in regards to the toddler’s genitals. Examination revealed an enlarged, swollen, delicate scrotum containing in the proper aspect a tough and roughened substance, evidently international. The physician determined to function for the elimination of this object without delay. In doing so, he extracted from the scrotum a mass which was mashed and battered as if it had met in its flight some onerous, unyielding substance. Captain Capers acknowledged that he was astonished and that he lastly determined, after a number of days of severely contemplating the matter, simply how the incident had occurred. He surmised and acknowledged that no different approach was potential — that the mass taken from the scrotum of the infant was the equivalent one which on the twelfth of Could had shattered the tibia of the younger soldier after which had plunged by means of the air into the stomach of the younger girl, carrying particles of semen and spermatozoa by means of her left ovary and into the uterus, on this method impregnating her! No different answer to this beginning was obvious. Captain Capers defined this to the household, and at their solicitation visited the identical younger soldier, who at first was most skeptical however then appeared very within the younger girl. Earlier than 4 months had handed, he had married the younger woman. A number of years later Captain Capers acquired a letter from the younger man stating that they have been fortunately married and that they now had three youngsters however the final two not resembling to the identical marked diploma as the primary, the younger hero, or the younger soldier.

This case occurred on Could 12, 1863, and was reported November 7, 1874, within the medical annals.¹

              1381 BRONX RIVER AVENUE, BRONX 59

Reference

    1. Med. Ann. 1:62 (Nov. 7) 1874.

Sightings:   This legend was advised throughout an episode of the tv collection Home (“Pleasure to the World,” authentic air date 9 December 2008) in response to a affected person asking how a virgin may develop into pregnant.