A Synopsis of a singular case of Transposition of Viscera, re"
ported to the Medic'al Society of Delaware, at its Annual
Session, held at Dover, June 8th, 1853. By Henry F. Askew,
M. D., of Wilmington, late President.
The subject was a little girl, set. seven years, and daughter of
----------, of the city of Wilmington, Delaware. During the
month of March, 1853, she suffered for several weeks from an
attack of typhoid fever, accompanied with periodical cephalalgia.
From these she apparently entirely recovered, and on the 12th
of June, she again became indisposed. Iler illness was supposed
to proceed from eating unripe fruit. Medical attention, how-
ever, was not sought until the afternoon of the 16th, and then
on account of convulsions, which, though mitigated, were not en-
tirely relieved, except by death. About twelve hours after
death the following autopsic phenomena were revealed, viz., the
dura mater strongly adherent to the cranium with exudation of
lymph, the blood vessels exceedingly injected with dark blood,
and spots of lymph beneath the dura mater. The ventricles
contained a large amount of serum, and the substance of the
brain appeared softened.
A considerable number of cherry stones were found in the ali-
mentary canal; the glands of Peyer had been diseased, and were
evidently healing. The mesenteric glands were greatly enlarged.
The viscera of the thorax and abdomen were entirely transposed,
so that the appearance was such as would be presented from a
reflected surface. The apex of the heart was on the right of the
median line, the aorta arching off to the right, and extending
down the right side of the spinal column. The right lung had
but two lobes, the left lung had three. The liver was mostly on
the left side of the body, with the gall bladder also on the left
side, whilst the spleen occupied its corresponding position on the
right. The stomach had its cardiac orifice on the right and the
pyloric on the left. The caput colli was attached to the left side,
and the descending colon was on the right.
The health of both parents is good, and the size of the little
patient was such as generally corresponds to her age. Her
health, until the attack of typhoid fever, had always been excel-
lent, and no occurrence had ever led to the suspicion of the trans-
position which was developed.