THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
142 NOTES ON A CASE OP
POISONING BY
ORPIMENT. By K.
Harvey, M. B.,
Surgeon-Major, Bengal
Medical Service.
Post-mortem report on the body of Umer Dass, said to have died suddenly last night (28th September 1876.) Facts of the case not communicated by police, believed to be as follow. Deceased was to have been married
to-day (29th September) to the daughter of a mehtranee ayah. The brotherhood of sweepers objected, but the ayah persisted in her determination to give him her daughter. He was taken ill last night with vomiting and purging of blood, and died early this morning (29th). A.?Inspection,? 30th September 1876, 9 a. m. 1?Body that of a very powerful, muscular man about 30 years of age. 2?Slight stiffness of body (rigor mortis) about 26 hours after death. 3?Lividities on back, from gravitation of blood after death 4?Face placid; pupils natural. No discharge from mouth, nose or ears ; tongue protruded. 5?No marks of violence on any part of the body. not
B.?Sectio Cadaveris, 9 to 11-30 a. m. Head.?6. Scalp contained more than usual quantity of blood, but bore no marks of bruising. 7?Skull very thick. 8?Membranes,?dura mater adherent to cranium ; vessels of pia mater and cerebral sinuses gorged with dark fluid blood. 9 ?Brain substance slightly more vascular than usual. 10?Lateral ventricles contained a small quantity of pink serum, choroid plexus of a deep red color. 11?Cerebellum slightly engorged. b. Chest.?12. No marks of violence in muscles ; much fat. 13?Heart bag (pericardium) contained about half a dram of pale serum. 14?Large veins gorged with dark fluid blood. 15?Heart, 11 oz., all cavities contained a small quantity of pink liquid blood : valves healthy. 16? Lining membrane of left ventricle (endocardium) and fleshy columns (carneaj coluinnse )much stained with blood in patches. These could not be washed off, and on incision the staining was found to extend about a quarter of a line into the muscular tissue. Bight ventricle, both auricles and all the valves free from staining. 17 ?Lungs, right 15? oz., natural in front, deep red behind?from gravitation after death. Left 15 oz., of a deep red color throughout, but most marked behind. 18 ?Pleural cavities empty. c. Abdomen.?19. Liver, 2 lbs. 12 oz., right lobe slightly softened and engorged with blood : left lobe natural. 20 ?Spleen 10 oz., enlarged, of a dark nutmeg color. 21? Kidney. Right 3? oz , left 4 oz., both slightly engorged. 22?Stomach of a deep brick red throughout with patches of blood (ecchymoses) here and there, chiefly at the lower border (great curvature) and near the right end (pylorus). Some stringy mucus in which were embedded a few small yellow particles, adherent to its walls. 23? Duodenum slightly reddened, with some mucus and a few yellow particles here and there. 24?Jejunum redder than duodenum, but to no great extent; the redness gradually increasing as it merged into the 25? Ileum, which was throughout very vascular, with particles of extravasated blood, sparse above, but very common at the lower end of the gut. The mucous membrane almost eroded in places, and a quantity of mucus streaked with blood adhering to the walls. Much flocculent mucus hardly fseculent, but streaked with blood in lower part of bowel. 26?Large Intestines deeply injected as far down as the sigmoid flexure with several patches amounting to extravasation, and in one place a large yellow stain. Much tenacious mucus adhering to bowel, in which were a
several spots resembling yellow paint. and rectum only slightly contracted and empty.
injected ;
no
Sigmoid flexure
fasces. 27?Bladder
[May 1,
1879.
Opinion.?From the generally congested state of the internal organs from (16) the staining of the lining membrane of the left heart ; from (22) the congested condition of the stomach and the stringy mucus and yellow particles found in it ; from (23, 24, 25 and 26) the condition of the bowels, especially the yellow stains and yellow paint like patches (26), I am of opinion that deceased met his death from the effects of an irritant poison such as arsenic. The stomach, its contents, and a portion of liver have been reserved for analysis. Large quantities of orpiment were found by the Chemical Examiner. The case was decided to have been one of suicide, the supposed motive to which was disgust at the opposition to the marriage by the sweeper community. Simla, 30th September 1876.
142 NOTES ON A CASE OP
POISONING BY
ORPIMENT. By K.
Harvey, M. B.,
Surgeon-Major, Bengal
Medical Service.
Post-mortem report on the body of Umer Dass, said to have died suddenly last night (28th September 1876.) Facts of the case not communicated by police, believed to be as follow. Deceased was to have been married
to-day (29th September) to the daughter of a mehtranee ayah. The brotherhood of sweepers objected, but the ayah persisted in her determination to give him her daughter. He was taken ill last night with vomiting and purging of blood, and died early this morning (29th). A.?Inspection,? 30th September 1876, 9 a. m. 1?Body that of a very powerful, muscular man about 30 years of age. 2?Slight stiffness of body (rigor mortis) about 26 hours after death. 3?Lividities on back, from gravitation of blood after death 4?Face placid; pupils natural. No discharge from mouth, nose or ears ; tongue protruded. 5?No marks of violence on any part of the body. not
B.?Sectio Cadaveris, 9 to 11-30 a. m. Head.?6. Scalp contained more than usual quantity of blood, but bore no marks of bruising. 7?Skull very thick. 8?Membranes,?dura mater adherent to cranium ; vessels of pia mater and cerebral sinuses gorged with dark fluid blood. 9 ?Brain substance slightly more vascular than usual. 10?Lateral ventricles contained a small quantity of pink serum, choroid plexus of a deep red color. 11?Cerebellum slightly engorged. b. Chest.?12. No marks of violence in muscles ; much fat. 13?Heart bag (pericardium) contained about half a dram of pale serum. 14?Large veins gorged with dark fluid blood. 15?Heart, 11 oz., all cavities contained a small quantity of pink liquid blood : valves healthy. 16? Lining membrane of left ventricle (endocardium) and fleshy columns (carneaj coluinnse )much stained with blood in patches. These could not be washed off, and on incision the staining was found to extend about a quarter of a line into the muscular tissue. Bight ventricle, both auricles and all the valves free from staining. 17 ?Lungs, right 15? oz., natural in front, deep red behind?from gravitation after death. Left 15 oz., of a deep red color throughout, but most marked behind. 18 ?Pleural cavities empty. c. Abdomen.?19. Liver, 2 lbs. 12 oz., right lobe slightly softened and engorged with blood : left lobe natural. 20 ?Spleen 10 oz., enlarged, of a dark nutmeg color. 21? Kidney. Right 3? oz , left 4 oz., both slightly engorged. 22?Stomach of a deep brick red throughout with patches of blood (ecchymoses) here and there, chiefly at the lower border (great curvature) and near the right end (pylorus). Some stringy mucus in which were embedded a few small yellow particles, adherent to its walls. 23? Duodenum slightly reddened, with some mucus and a few yellow particles here and there. 24?Jejunum redder than duodenum, but to no great extent; the redness gradually increasing as it merged into the 25? Ileum, which was throughout very vascular, with particles of extravasated blood, sparse above, but very common at the lower end of the gut. The mucous membrane almost eroded in places, and a quantity of mucus streaked with blood adhering to the walls. Much flocculent mucus hardly fseculent, but streaked with blood in lower part of bowel. 26?Large Intestines deeply injected as far down as the sigmoid flexure with several patches amounting to extravasation, and in one place a large yellow stain. Much tenacious mucus adhering to bowel, in which were a
several spots resembling yellow paint. and rectum only slightly contracted and empty.
injected ;
no
Sigmoid flexure
fasces. 27?Bladder
[May 1,
1879.
Opinion.?From the generally congested state of the internal organs from (16) the staining of the lining membrane of the left heart ; from (22) the congested condition of the stomach and the stringy mucus and yellow particles found in it ; from (23, 24, 25 and 26) the condition of the bowels, especially the yellow stains and yellow paint like patches (26), I am of opinion that deceased met his death from the effects of an irritant poison such as arsenic. The stomach, its contents, and a portion of liver have been reserved for analysis. Large quantities of orpiment were found by the Chemical Examiner. The case was decided to have been one of suicide, the supposed motive to which was disgust at the opposition to the marriage by the sweeper community. Simla, 30th September 1876.
