FATAL RESULT OF AN (ESOPHAGEAL OBSTRUCTION. 
763 
seven o clock the following 1 morning he was sleeping quietly, 
but about two hours later he commenced to moan and show 
further signs of pain, though to all appearance it was not so 
severe as that of the day previous. The same treatment was 
continued throughout the day, namely poultices and anodynes 
with an occasional enema of warm water. At six in the even¬ 
ing he was seized with a shivering fit as if suffering from cold, 
although the atmospheric temperature of the quarters in 
which he was confined was fairly high, the patient’s temper¬ 
ature had fallen to 98° F. However, he was wrapped in 
warm woolen cloths and placed in a basket near the steam 
radiator in the pharmacy and an alcoholic stimulant given ; an 
effort was made to repeat this in an hour, but power of deglu¬ 
tition seemed to be lost. At eight o’clock he was seen to be 
1 rap idly sinking, mucous membrane of the mouth was ex¬ 
tremely pale, and the power of locomotion almost entirely 
gone; at 9.15 there was a profuse rectal haemorrhage and 
death followed within an hour. 
Post Mortem .—Being unable to communicate with the 
owner, the autopsy was not held until sixty hours after death. 
An opening was made along the median line and abdominal 
organs exposed. The spleen was in its normal situation, some¬ 
what elongated, thin and soft, of a pale red color, on section 
soft and pale; pulp-normal in amount, fibrous tissue normal 
in quantity, malphigian bodies distinctly seen, large vessels 
containing well formed clots non-adherent; liver pale and fri¬ 
able. The intestines contained a blackish green semi-fluid 
mass. Intestinal mucosa pale; stomach half filled with a 
blood cast. 
Thoracic organs.—Slight adhesion of the right pleura, 
lungs pale and crepitant throughout, heart normal in size, 
right auricle almost empty, right ventricle contained some 
fluid blood and a dark clot, valves normal; left heart almost 
srnpty, valves normal, muscle pale; lungs pale and anasmic. 
(Esophagus at the level of 1 cm., above the base of the 
heart obstructed by bone, irregular and jagged in form, 
greatest diameter 3 cm. by 2 cm. by i|- cm., causing several 
ulcerations, one adjacent to the aorta, 2 c.m. long by 7 mm. 
