A CASE OF SUB-PERITONEAL HEMORRHAGE, 607 
gvii. In spite, however, of all our attentions, the symptoms in- 
creased in violence up to 8 o’clock, p.m., after which time he re- 
mained obstinately standing, bat was exceedingly uneasy with 
his hind legs ; at the same time, however, neither advancing nor 
retiring. Having observed these phenomena, I thought it pro- 
bable that some irreducible stoppage existed in the anterior intes- 
tines, caused either by hernia, intussusception, or calculi. 
Half past 9 o'clock, p.m. — Again visited the patient, and found 
him apparently tranquil, that is to say, all the violent symptoms 
had ceased. On a more close examination, however, the dilated 
eye, pale membranes, the running down pulse, the double action 
of the heart, and intermitting tremors in the hind quarters, all 
told me that his death was fast approaching, and which, indeed, 
took place about 11 o’clock. 
When I saw this animal for the last time previous to his death 
(half past 9 o’clock), I thought that gangrene had set in, as I had 
remarked in other cases a similar cessation of the symptoms pre- 
vious to the death of those animals in which I found, on making 
post-mortem examinations, that sphacelus was the immediate cause 
of death. 
Autopsy eight hours after Death . — From the peculiarity of the 
symptoms evinced during life I was anxious to see the result of 
the autopsy, which was as follows: — On opening the abdomen, 
the large intestines were found healthy ; the stomach, however, 
was ruptured in an extraordinary manner, that is to say, the peri- 
toneal coat, with the external muscular layer, were torn throughout 
almost the entire extent of the great curvature, while, near the 
pyloric extremity, the rupture was complete, the laceration hav- 
ing included the remaining coats or layers for the space of about 
six inches. The most curious lesion presented was observed 
in that portion of the small intestines called the ilium , at about 
the middle of which there existed a strangulation, caused by 
an enormous coagulutn of blood that extended for about twenty- 
four inches in length. What appeared the most unusual and 
most interesting was, however, that the coagulum was situated 
between the peritoneal and the muscular layer, and was so thick 
and abundant, that the passage through the intestine was ob- 
literated, or, to speak more rationally, was rendered impervious, 
from the circumstance of its parietes being placed and kept in 
close apposition by the external pressure exerted by the great de- 
position of coagulated blood between the muscular layer and the 
peritoneum. There was nothing unusual in any of the thoracic 
organs, excepting that the heart was somewhat soft, and exhibited 
some petechial spots. 
Observations . — The case whose peculiarities I have just re- 
