Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-26

He had also been present at a second ex-
animation OF the body held six days lat
Ell 1--WE found at the first examination"
said he, "the emaciated body of a man
about 40 years old in which rigor mortis
was not well defined"
The witness then described the wounds
he had seen on the body. One bore evil
dence Of having existed for some time. It
was an inch o n posterior to the
eleventh rib, and was continuous into the
abdominal cavity. There was also the
remnant of an old wound over the left
hip, but it la a well defined scab on 1t.
Over the tenth rib was a semicircular
wound.
Your purpose was to ascertain the
cause of death?" said Mr.. Connolly.
Yes, SIR"
And at what conclusion did you ar
rive?'
w found that the immediate cause
OF death was due to the operation and
the remote cause septic p~eritonitis."
WAS there a governing cause"
Yes; blood poisoning from a general
septic p~eritonitis."
DR.. w. H. Hanson. who performed the
operation on Colby's body, said he had
practiced his profession for nineteen
years and during that period had render
ed service In hospitals in Montreal and
New York City. I'm the afternoon Of the
day Colby died. said he, II was called to
see Colby and found that blood poisoning
had set in. His pulse wal 12O, his tenn
p%erature 1917 and his respiration 80. The
normal respiration Is II but in the case
OF Colby it had been quickened by lung
disorder. The patients abdomen was alb
normally extended, the result Of gases
In the intestines. I operated on Colby the
same day. Colby and his friends request
ed that 1t be done, as it was the only pos
slole chance he had to live. I did not
think he would live t~wenty-four hours
and told them so. On opening the alb
domlnal cavity I found a gangrenous
condition between the cavity and wall. It
is impossible for one to recover from This
condition. There was a wound in the left
lumbar region. I made two incisions.
one above the other. 1 found a portion Of
the lung protruding between the ribs in
one and I removed about three inches of
the rfo. A lot of pus escaped from the
Jung and that organ collapsed. I then
was complete"
What would you say as to the causa
OF that condition." asked the county at
torney. "-
"Diffuse septic p%eritonitis."
Mhat was h of death?'
Shock due to the operation"
WAat tnne d1d You operate on lin? %
died" "eocA Ae
Was the operation the only chance
for hfe?" oA""e
1T was"
The witness described wound he
ed the left lung n the other had injur-
ed the abdominal cavity. He Thought
both had been made by one plunge of the
knife. the blade of which had first pen
etrated the lung while Colby was bend
Ing to the right side; then slipping out
SO that tha nninf still or, DIV, "a ar
flesh and cutting downward and again
penetrating the body below as Colby
Strengthened UP.
DR.. Hanson told what he thought had
caused the septic p%eritonitis. The
wound had first been made. pus had
formed, penetrated to the interior of the
body. n blood poison had resulted.
There was enough infection on the
dressing to have infected the whole
country" said he. SO
what is the common English for
'septic?'" asked Mr.. Connolly.
Poison" was the reply.
! GAS a matter of fact, a surgeon must
be very careless if infection results in
such a case?" said Mr.. Connolly.
Eyes, SIR"
What do you mean when you say
there was enough infection to infect the
whole country?"
9Th bandages on Colby's body were
covered with pus. The original wound
SIOulu HOI nave lOOhGu Tile way II ulu.
f; There was no occasion for it."
DIR. George H. Wells, who had charge
of the two examinations of Colby's
body after death had ensued, testified as
to the condition in which he had found
the body. He read from notes taken at
the time the post mortems We're held and
corroborated the statement made by DR..
Hanson in regard to the gangrenous
condition of the wall of the abdominal
cavity. Asked what, in his opinion, had
caused this condition. the doctor replied
"It was the Introduction of septic ma
terial into the abdominal cavity, I be-
lieve,'' was the reply.
The witness also said that 6. doctor. in
probing a wound. ought to know the
course of his probe. This statement was
the result of an attempt on the part Of
the county attorney to determine Wheth,
er it was possible for the hospital sur.
geon, who had charge of Colby prior t.
the operation by DIR. Hanson. to have
extended the YOU by probing 1t.
Court adjourned for the moon hour be
fore DIR. Wells had finished his teStE