Two ounces and a half of thick fetid fluid, derived from the maceration
of cabbage leaves in an equal quantity of water, for two days, at a
temperature of 77 Fah., were injected into the right jugular vein of
a moderate sized dog. During the operation, the animal made several
efforts to swallow, and soon became faint, and vomited several times.
Some hours afterwards, there was great uneasiness and oppression,
with recurrence of the vomiting, and continued faintness during the
day. After nine hours, a most copious and very fetid evacuation took
place. The discharge was as black as soot, and composed of mucus, with
a little fæcal matter, and a large quantity of what appeared to be
corrupted blood. Some time afterwards, there was a second evacuation of
bloody mucus, exactly resembling the first. On the following day, there
was much loss of strength: the animal lay upon its side, or staggered
as it walked. There was great and insatiable thirst, with a small
feverish pulse. But the most remarkable symptom was the occurrence, at
intervals, of palpitation of the heart, accompanied by extraordinary
force and sound, resembling that produced by long continued hypertrophy
of that organ, in consequence of aneurism[28] of one of the large
arteries. On the third and fourth days, the animal was better, but
there were still great thirst, fever, and occasional rejection of
fluids from the stomach. On the fifth day, the symptoms became
aggravated; there was extreme weakness, a tottering gait, excessive
thirst, the eyes red and filled with gum; the nostrils were stuffed,
swollen, and obstructed with mucus; and the lining membrane of the
mouth was tumid, and of a violet red colour. In the middle of the day,
there was a liquid greyish white evacuation, resembling pus in its
odour, consistence, and appearance, mixed with some clots of putrified
blood. Death occurred during the following night.
[28] I once observed a similar condition in a young woman in St.
George's Hospital. Each pulsation of the heart could be heard with
great distinctness at a distance of two or three yards from the
patient; during the paroxysms, there was the greatest difficulty of
breathing; the countenance became anxious and livid, and a distinct
thrill was communicated to all the arteries. After death, the
countenance and upper part of the body were found livid from venous
congestion. The lungs did not readily collapse when the chest was
opened. The auricles of the heart were greatly distended with black
blood; the inner surface of the left ventricle presented a white patch,
of about two square inches in extent; the lining membrane of the aorta,
for several inches, was of a bright red colour; this extended round
one-third only of the circumference of the vessel. No other structural
change could be found in the heart or vessels, which would account for
the symptoms observed during life.
_Post-mortem appearances._ The mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, and
mouth, was red or violet, and covered by a very abundant thick mucus.
The lungs were of a dark colour, with some black patches, but still
crepitant. The left ventricle of the heart presented several brown
stains, resembling ecchymoses, which penetrated into its tissue. Its
internal surface was of the colour of lees of wine, offering a singular
contrast to that of the right side, which, however, contained a hard
fibrinous concretion, two drachms and a half in weight, of a light
yellow colour, and resembling grease in appearance. This was of the
same consistence throughout, everywhere free, with the exception of a
portion of the size of a finger nail, which adhered to an irregular
and apparently inflamed spot on the inner surface of the ventricle; no
appearance of the injected fluid could be recognized in this clot. It
was continued of the same colour and consistence into the pulmonary
artery, and into the vena cava, the vena azygos, the axillary, and even
the right jugular vein.
The intestinal mucous membrane, especially in the rectum, the duodenum,
and a small portion of the small intestines, was of a violet red
colour. It was inflamed in longitudinal stripes and in patches, which
gave a mottled appearance, even to the outer surface of the intestines,
before they were opened. This discolouration was not accompanied by any
thickening of the tissues, nor by ulceration, and appeared rather the
result of ecchymosis or hæmorrhage. The lining membrane of the rectum
was principally affected, and its mucous glands were swollen and very
prominent. This intestine contained puriform fluid, resembling the
matter evacuated before death. The other intestines contained a very
thick greyish white mucus. The mesenteric glands were inflamed, and
appeared as if infiltrated with blood. The gall bladder was mottled on
its surface by brown and violet patches, and contained black, thick,
ropy bile, resembling melted tar.