Rupture of the Spleen. Autopsy. By M. G. Whitney, M. D., of
Kingston, Pennsylvania.
The patient was a man named-------Young, living in Wyoming
Valley, aged about 40, a coal laborer, very large and mus-
cular, subject to intermittent fever. On the night of the 24th
of November, 1849, he was engaged with a party serenading
a newly married couple, when, after drinking somewhat freely,
and being partially intoxicated, a difficulty arose between him
and one of his companions. In a struggle which ensued,
Young being nearly down to the ground, was struck by his
antagonist with the clenched fist, two or three blows on the
leftside, over the region of the stomach and spleen. Very soon
it was observed that he was severely injured. He groaned;
had difficulty of breathing; his extremities became cold; the
pulse ceased at the wrists, and in about fifteen minutes from the
time of the scuffle he died.
Inspectio cadaveris.—About 38 hours after death, I made an ex-
amination. The body was altered very little by the process of
decomposition. It was a little discolored on the back. The
abdomen was much distended and tense ; on opening it, a large
quantity of fluid and coagulated blood was found in the cavity.
The viscera were carefully removed, and on inspection, the spleen
was found about three times the normal size, of a dark greyish
color, and having three rents or ruptures on the convex side, ex-
tending transversely across its body. There was a large quantity
of coagula around and under the stomach and spleen; all the other
abdominal viscera had a healthy appearance. I did not measure
the spleen, but should think it was about ten inches long, four or
five inches broad, and about four inches thick at the thickest part-
The rents were about two inches apart, and extended into its sub-
stance about one inch. No further examination was made.