Case of suicide in which death resulted from a wound in the neck by an earthenware jug: with remarks / [Robert Spittal].

  • Spittal, Robert, 1804-1852.
Date:
[1842]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of suicide in which death resulted from a wound in the neck by an earthenware jug: with remarks / [Robert Spittal]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    99 Jkmt Jmj for his home in Stir¬ lingshire, in excel¬ lent spirits, and ap¬ parently in good health. The stump at this time felt a little indurated in the course of the lymphatics, where it had assumed a slightly glazed and full appearance, but otherwise it was na¬ tural, and entirely free from pain. It presented the ap¬ pearance, represent¬ ed in the accompa¬ nying wood-cut, co¬ pied from a cast made by Dr J. Mac- lean, the day be¬ fore the patient re¬ turned home. The first ligature came away on the sixth of July, and by the 11th of September, when he went home, only four of them adhered. These appeared to be held fast among the deep granulations, as there was no want of action in the stump. He was discharged from the hospital about six weeks after the operation, and returned home, in the condition above mentioned, about two months and a half after having left it. After his return home he continued to progress favourably, walk¬ ing about on crutches, till about the end of September, when the pain in the left frontal and orbital regions became so severe as to oblige him to remain in the house. At this time he was visited by Dr Handyside, who found that the functions of the patient’s left eye were much impaired, with prominence of the eyeball, and considerable tumefaction of the left eyelids. Three of the remaining ligatures were withdrawn, and the fourth—the only remaining one—when pulled, broke across, from its being held fast in the interior of the stump. The stump itself was nearly in the same condition as when he left the neighbourhood of Edinburgh,—only there protruded at the seat of the ligatures, a mass of oedematous granulations,— but it was still free from pain. Towards the end of October he was again seen by Dr Handy- side, who found him in the following condition :—