98 
HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART. 
most enlarged, several hardened masses of the size of an egg, 
and w^hich appeared to bound the part which was nearest to the 
lungs. 
The coronary scissure of the heart was not to be found; it 
was covered with soft, fleshy folds, seemingly belonging to the 
heart. On removing them the auricles could be recognized, very 
much dilated, irregularly studded with tumours, and resembling 
the liver in their colour. Some of these tumours were hard, and 
creaked under the edge of the bistoury ; others, within walls of 
considerable thickness, contained a quantity of pus, in some of 
a yellow and in others of a dark green colour. The interior of 
these cysts resembled that of pulmonary vomicae. 
The whole of the right auricle was prodigiously enlarged. It 
was surrounded by many of these tumours, but there was one, 
larger than any of the rest, the walls of which were very thin, 
and had been lacerated apparently from within ; although nearly 
empty, it still contained a small quantity of pus and blood. The 
remaining part of the blood and pus that had been contained in 
this pouch was found in the right ventricle. The violent fit of 
coughing had, without doubt, ruptured the tumour; it had 
poured its contents into the auricle, whence they had descended 
into the ventricle, and caused immediate suffocation. 
The other auricle, similarly dilated, presented at its base similar 
clusters of tumours, but they were not so soft. The ventricles, 
arteries, and pulmonary veins, were gorged with excessively black 
blood. In many parts that portion of the pleura that formed 
the pericardium appeared to be cartilaginous, and creaked under 
the knife, as a scirrhous tumour would do. 
The parietes of the right ventricle towards the apex of the 
heart, were enlarged, and soft, and thin as a piece of paper, 
and seemed as if they would have burst at the application of the 
slightest strain. 
I have no knowledo:e of the cause of such strang-e disorder of 
this organ: I can scarcely think that it would be the result of 
any external violence. I am rather inclined to believe that I have 
here seen the true cancer of the heart. 
Although our usages only admit as unsoundness chronic 
affection of the lungs, yet I could not hesitate in concluding that 
there was fully sufficient here to set aside the sale, and the 
Tribunal did not object to this. 
Reciieil, Jan. 1834. 
