CHAPTER VIII 



RUPTURE OF THE STOMACH: GASTRO- 

 RHEXIS 



Definition. — A breach or disruption, complete or in- 

 complete, of the tunics forming the walls of the stomach, 

 with consequent escape of the contents of the organ. 



Causes. — Principally we may regard this lesion as 

 a direct result of the disorder considered in the 

 previous chapter, the mere mechanical pressure of 

 the accumulated gases being sufficient to bring it 

 about. More for that reason than that it offers any 

 particular medical problem have I seen fit to insert 

 its description here. Rupture may also result from 

 ordinary impacted or gorged stomach (Chapter VI.), 

 though it is well to add that the number of cases 

 following upon that condition are not nearly so frequent 

 as those succeeding acute gastric tympany. It will 

 naturally follow that those causes enumerated as giving 

 rise to tympanitic stomach might be again stated here as 

 indirect factors in the production of gastric rupture, 

 laying special stress on the overfeeding with young 

 green stuffs, and the excessive use of boiled or steeped 

 foods, with a period of work immediately on the full 

 stomach. What I have already advised under that 

 heading will bear repeating here : ' Never allow the 



