Medical Case Reports




130

sent any peculiarity. The average period of each patient’s stay in hospital was 113 days. We have found a large proportion of such cases in elderly persons. These have generally suffered from pneumonia when young, and upon this tubercles have become, as it were, engrafted.

Heart and Arteries.—The fatal cases of diseases of the heart and arteries amounted to seven. Of these six were characterized by hypertrophy (the weight of the heart being in one case 2½lbs.), pulmonary engorgement, ascites and anasarca. The fatal event in most of these cases was sudden. The seventh was a case of aneurism of the aorta, eating through the upper part of the sternum or breast bone then forming a diffused false aneurism on the fore part of the neck. The tumor sloughed at its most prominent part, and burst on the ninth day of admission. Death did not ensue for some days afterwards. The origin of this disease was believed to have been the kick of a horse. The average sojourn of these patients in hospital was 84 days.

Liver Disease.—Three cases out of seven proved fatal. Two of these occurred in young men and were occasioned by intemperance. In one, the abscess pointed between the right teeth and eleventh ribs and was opened on admission. This patient lingered 101 days and at one time gave slight promise of recovery. But he was exhausted at last by profuse discharge of matter from his side. After death the right lobe of the liver was found scooped out into anfractuous cavities full of purulent matter. Another case proved suddenly fatal by hemorrhage into the large intestine. A large abscess also was found in the liver. The average duration of hospital treatment in these cases was 50 days.

Dysentery.—Of the nine cases of dysentery three died almost immediately after admission into hospital, and two others within a very few days. Disease of the liver was found in most of them, and intestinal ulceration, more or less in all. A fatal case of the iliac passion occurred 48 hours after admission. The patient had been ill twelve days previously during which period no evacuations could be procured. Gangrene of the small intestines was found on inspection.

Kidney.—A case of albuminuria or “Morbus Brightii” proved fatal 59 days after admission. Dropsical effusion took place into the serous sacs of the chest and abdomen, together with general anasarca. The kidneys were found in a state of atrophy after death.

Uterine.—Under this head is a fatal case, in which, owing to an undeveloped or rudimentary state of these organs, great disorder was set up. This was manifested by hysterical spasms and convulsive twitchings, obstinate and intractable hemoptysis, reducing almost the whole of the lungs to the condition of pulmonary apoplexy and causing death by asphyxia. Before coming into hospital this patient had been treated by several medical men.

Hemorrhoidal.—Two cases of disease of the rectum died. These were attended with widespreading destruction of the perineum, and most severe suffering, mitigated by morphia, &c.

Medullary Sarcoma.—There were two fatal cases of medullary sarcoma. These were very rapid in their progress. In one the disease first attacked an external organ, on which an operation was thoughtlessly performed some time before admission; very soon a tumour appeared in the abdomen, which in an incredibly short space became completely distended. The case admitted only of palliative treatment. The tumour which was of the encephaloid character weighed 12½lbs.

Dropsy.—Five cases of general dropsy died in hospital. One was 45 days under treatment and had been tapped many times. One was 88 days and was tapped eight times. In some the exciting cause was found to be in the liver, in one in the kidney, and in another in the heart.

Disease of Bone.—A woman was sent to hospital from Onehunga with a carious state of the bones of the right forearm of long standing. Amputation might have availed at an earlier period, but it was inadmissible in the exhausted and prostrate state of the patient, and death soon came to her relief.

Fractures.—Of the five fatal cases of fracture the first was that of a seaman, who fell from aloft on board of a ship in harbour, and suffered compound fracture of both legs. He died in an hour after admission. An inquest was held on view of the body by the coroner for the hospital, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. The second case was that of a man who from a blow on the head by a capstan bar, in revolution, sustained a depressed fracture of the skull on its left side. The depressed portion of bone was exposed and elevated, but death took place three hours from his admission. An inquest was held in this case also. In the third case a man was run over by an omnibus and received a comminuted fracture of the right leg. The injury at first did not appear to be so severe as to require amputation and an attempt was made to save the limb accordingly, but extensive sloughing of the integuments of the leg took place, succeeded by protrusion of the bone. Great constitutional disturbance, with pneumonia now set in and all opportunity for operation was lost. The patient passed into a typhoid condition and died in 41 days from admission. The fourth case was that of a young man, who met with a fracture of left hume-



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF Auckland Provincial Gazette 1866, No 17





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🏥 Annual Medical Report of Auckland Provincial Hospital, 1865 (continued from previous page)

🏥 Health & Social Welfare
Medical Report, Hospital Statistics, Patient Mortality, Auckland