A CASK OF RUPTURED SPLEEN. 
361 
such a length of time. He now got worse fast. Pulse at the 
jaw almost gone, and not very distinct, except now and then at 
the chest. He would stand tottering about for some time, and 
then fall violently down any where. VVe began to fancy there was 
a rupture of a bloodvessel. 
9 to 11.—During this time he was in a very helpless state, 
and once or twice rolled over; would tumble down about every 
twenty minutes—seemed insensible—pulse imperceptible at the 
jaw—ears deadly cold—of a cold sweat all over—breathing 
towards the last stertorous—and, when down, would gasp and 
struggle dreadfully, and, several times, to all appearance, seemed 
dying. Still he would rally again; but about half-past ten he 
fell to rise no more, gasping and struggling most of the time, 
but each struggle becoming fainter and fainter, until he died at 
about eleven. 
Post-mortem Examination .—At seven next morning Mr. H. 
and I saw him opened. On cutting into the abdomen, eight or 
ten gallons of blood escaped, very similar in colour and appear¬ 
ance to the water that is voided by cows that have the black- 
water. On further examination, we came to a quantity of coagu¬ 
lated blood near to the stomach, and found that it proceeded 
from the upper surface of the spleen. On removing that viscus, 
we discovered a rupture in it, towards its largest end, of about five 
inches in length, and varying in width from an inch downwards. 
The peritoneal covering of the spleen appeared to have been 
recently ruptured, as its edges were as thin and well-defined as 
possible. The space thrown open that was ruptured was higher 
than the surrounding parts, and had on its surface a coagulum of 
black blood: indeed, this part of the spleen and the coagulum 
on it appeared very much alike—a mass of dark coagulated blood. 
About the middle of the smaller end, on the same side, there 
was another tumour, similar to the first. Its form was nearly 
circular, about the size of the top of an ordinary teacup, and 
elevated about as much as a tea-saucer inverted. On cutting into 
it, there was the appearance of a mass of dark coagulated blood, 
like the ruptured one. The parts around it were natural; a very 
little more distention would, in all probability, have ruptured it. 
There w'as a good deal of spotted dark bloody deposit in the 
neighbourhood of the spleen on a portion of the diaphragm, be¬ 
tween its coats, on its thoracic side. 
The lungs were greatly inflated, sound, almost blanched, and 
the colour of calves’ lungs. No blood in the heart, and that 
viscus quite flaccid. 
The man said that, on skinning him, there was no blood in the 
vessels. 
