Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-11-25

A Living Mans Heart Open to
Inspection.
Excitement in the Ny. Medical College
fF'rom the Evening Post. ;,

From the Evening fost.
Some three years ago our physicians wit
messed the process of digestion through an
orifcc left by gun shot wound in the ab-
domcn of Alexis St. Martin. But great
er curiosity way yesterday exhibitcdto the
students OF the University Medical College
at the hour of Prof Motifs ciniqnc.
1t was case of deficiency of the ster-
mum (brcast- -bone). which enables the sew
eral movements Of the heart to be seen. 1t
has excited interest for several years past
throughout the cities of Europe and Brit
ain. The subject Of the defect is VI. Groux,
a native of Hamburg. twenty eight years
of age. somewhat un.ler the average height,
and rather pale. though he appears to be in
health. He was introduced by DIR. Mott,
who thorght that the substance which oc-
cupicd the place of the stcrnum might be
cartilage. Nj. Groux then showed the pc
culiar conformity Of his chest and gave an
excellent lecture on the hearts action. de-
monstrating his remarks with colored
plates, and artificial heart an his own body.
The collar-bones are not connected, (neith-
er are the ribs to their oppositcs, but
there is groove where the sternum should
be; the skin is natural. In its natural state
this groove is about an inch and hall
wide, but it can be distended to three inch
cs. On looking at the groove pulsatile
swelling is discornable opposite the third
aud fourth ribs; if respiration bc suspend
ed it rapidly rises to an enormous extent.
and remains full and tense until the breath
ing is restored, when it soon SUBSIDIES
This is the heart. Between the claviclcs
there is another pulsatile swelling, easily
felt, which is the aorta. the great artery
from the heart The dilation and contrac-
tion Of the lung is also seen. In coughing.
the right lung suddenly protrndcs from the
chest through the groove, and ascends a
considerable distance above the claviele in
to the neck. r,-a ffr
The technical details of these wonderful
disclosures will interest professional men,
and to general readers of physiology the
sight will be extremely interesting il
would be we'll if it could bc exhibited in
public schools. fssgr, a.ff
Mr.. Groux remcmbars being taken by
his family doctor to a medical society in
Hamburg, when about two years old, but
he did not know for what; nor did the full
importance of his case occur to him till he
was about twenty years Of age. In lS49,
while on visit to London. he was attack
ed with cholera, and then it was. that his
defect became known to the profession.-
He was shown TO several distinguished med
ical men as great curiosity, and was adj
yised to travel through Europe for the ben
eft Of the profession. Not long after, while
attending TO his business, which was very
confning, he was attacked with hamoptisis
(spitting Of bloody. He then concludcd to
abandoa his occupation and follow the sug-
gestion often made to him. to travel and
show himself to the medical men of the
countries Of Europe, Britain, and now Of
America. He has an alaum of two vol
umes, which arc nearly filed with the au-
togsaphs OF the chief members of all the
important medical societies and uniyersi-
Ties of Europe, from ST. Petersburg to
Madrid; and from Vienna to Galway, tes-
flying TO theii great interest in the CASE
The signatures Of professors and celebrities
who have examined him number over two
thousand. 1essff aft ssai 1G fsza =
At the close of his lecture yesterday DIR.
Mott proposed collection in Mr.. Groux's
behalf. thongh his regular fee had been paid
By the faculty Scarcely had he said the
word when the silver began to fly into the
arena from the seats Of the, vast ampithea-
tre. Nearly all the three hundred students
were present, AMI the shower cf quarters
greatly jeoparded the lecturer { DR.. Motif