192 
COMMENTS ON ME. FLEMING'S CASE OF 
“ PUNCTURE OF THE COLON BY A PIN." 
By Walter Lewis, M.R.C.V.S., Crewe. 
Allow me to offer a few remarks upon Mr. Fleming's 
letter, which appeared in the last number of the Veterinarian 
{vide p. 136). 
We have therein brought to our notice certain conclusions 
which that gentleman has deduced from, and which he is 
of opinion are “fully justified" by, the history of his patient's 
case. I refer to the following,—that the animal had swal¬ 
lowed a pin with his food; that this pin had been subse¬ 
quently forced through the coats of the colon ; that it had left 
therein an opening; that this opening, at first small, became 
gradually enlarged by the passage through it, first of fluids, and 
then of solid matters; and that fatal results hence ensued. 
If these inferences be correct, Mr. Fleming’s case is 
certainly one of singular interest, and, as you, Messrs. 
Editors, justly observe, “ of very unusual occurrence." 
With all due respect, however, to that gentleman, I beg 
to differ in opinion from him with regard to the justi¬ 
fiableness, by the history of the case, of the conclusions he 
has drawn. Having thus expressed my dissent, and, in 
so doing, availed myself of a well-known privilege which 
" doctors" often exercise, especially, it is said, in courts of 
law, I proceed to give briefly my reasons for it. 
1. When I examine the history of the case for the facts 
on which Mr. Fleming's conclusions are based, I find that 
they depend entirely upon the mere discovery, during the 
post-mortem examination, of “ a small brass pin, one of the 
common sort, and of the smallest size," respecting the pre¬ 
cise location of which, when found, we are even left to con¬ 
jecture. 
2. There is not a single iota of evidence adduced proving, 
directly or indirectly, that the pin was the actual, probable, 
or possible cause of death; that it influenced, in the least, 
the rupture of the colon; or that it was ever present in that 
organ or even in any other of the body, previous or subse¬ 
quent to the animal's death. 
3. The fact of there being, in the cavity of the abdomen, 
u a large quantity of blood in a fluid state," tends to show 
that the rupture took place suddenly; and consequently to 
disprove the correctness of Mr. Fleming's conclusion, that 
it was formed gradually in the manner supposed by him. 
