Watercolour: soldier with right arm missing, Charles Bell

Soldier with right arm missing this is one of a series of watercolours by the surgeon charles bell (1774-1842) of wounded soldiers from the battle of waterloo. Bell had hurried from london to brussels in june 1815 to assist in treating the wounded. At the same time he filled a sketchbook with interesting cases which were subsequently worked up as watercolour paintings for teaching purposes. This man, a member of the king's german legion, had his upper right arm shattered, presumably by a cannon ball. An incomplete amputation had been carried out. Subsequently the wound was tidied up and the remaining part of the humerus, or upper arm bone, was removed just below the shoulder socket. This was a very difficult operation, the more so as the patient was by now suffering from tetanus, causing violent muscle spasms. Almost miraculously he survived, one of only two cases of tetanus among the wounded of waterloo that were cured. Archives & manuscripts keywords: naval and military; charles bell. Watercolour; soldier with right arm missing Wellcome L0022546