Case of fatal hemorrhage from perforation of the aorta by false teeth impacted in the oesophagus / [James Duncan].

  • Duncan, James, 1810-1849
Date:
1844]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of fatal hemorrhage from perforation of the aorta by false teeth impacted in the oesophagus / [James Duncan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    evening. It was thought unsafe to comply with this request, and he remained in hospital nine days, still suffering from the fixed pain already alluded to, and occasionally spitting small quan¬ tities of blood, but without complaining of much difficulty in deglutition. The pain was consequently regarded as merely the effect of some injury inflicted by the foreign body during its passage downwards, and it was thought unadvisable to make any farther examination during that period. From some cause or other he left the hospital on the evening of the ninth day, and returned to his own home. Next morning, the 9th of March, I received a hurried call from his mother, who had been much alarmed by an occurrence which had taken place shortly before I had been sent for. She stated that her son had risen from bed, and that in crossing the room towards the window, he had become suddenly faint and giddy, and had vomited a mouthful of blood. He was immedi¬ ately removed to bed, and complained of a feeling of great weakness. I called upon him as soon as possible, and found that during the absence of his mother he had slept a little, but still complained of great debility, and of some slight difficulty in breathing. His face was pale, and the skin rather cold, but the pulse was of moderately good strength. From his descrip¬ tion of what had taken place, I was led to believe that the foreign body had been dislodged from its situation, and that it was possibly within reach of the forceps, with which I had pro¬ vided myself. I accordingly requested him to sit up by the side of his bed, to enable me to make the necessary examination. This he did with ease, and without much assistance, expressing great anxiety to have something done to relieve him. The act of depressing the tongue, to enable me to introduce the forceps, produced vomiting, and a mouthful of dark fetid blood was discharged. This was immediately followed by another but much larger quantity of fluid of the same description, perhaps about eight or ten ounces, and the false teeth were heard to rattle against the vessel into which it was received. The patient was im¬ mediately aware of this, and his friends were overjoyed at what had taken place. Another mouthful of the same fluid was then ejected ; an interval of a few seconds elapsed, and then a mouth¬ ful of bright arterial blood was discharged ; a second, and a third followed, the lips became livid, the pulse at the wrist ceased, the patient gave one or two convulsive sobs, and expired. An inspection of the body was readily obtained from the