The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-07

ami found broken down PARTICLES of
iwhat was left of a placenta in the left
upper corner of the womb, or corna.
rather, and this would indicate that
there had been recently removed y
plucenta. The mouth Of the womb
showed that it had been dilated to
considerable extent by the abraeions
that we're made up to the mouth Of the
womb and for an inch or 30 above. IA
blunt, instruInen had been used. Tho
cause of this apticemia was an infAc-
ton from the uterus passing through
the faaiopian tubes into the abdominal
cavity. There was every indication sot
pms In tubes. This is condition that.
mieht follow an attempt at criminal
abortion. There was no indication sof
appendicitis or colitis or any disease Of
the intestines. From all appeatalires
the woman was healthy female. Il 4
could see no reason why such an opera
ton woulG be justifiable On account aof
was the cause of Maud Stones death,
should not think this was done AT,
save her life. examined the vagina 10
see II there was evidence Of an instFats
ment. being used and found the vUlRas
very much dilated. There was "a !;
hymen present. The hymen is d mem
crane that closes over the lower p1f.
tion;of the vulva. lis always preseht
in virgins. We found the hytnen had
been torn, which would necessarily He
the case in using instruments which
would be required to accomplish the
results Of an abortion. ,if
@. In case an abortion had been
produced, would embalming the body
cover it up or make it impossible by an
examination to tell whether it had heen
pruduced or not? .gsils
A. That would depend a good deal
upon the means, the fluid and the in
gradients used and the manner in which
It was done.
@. Would the length of time follow
ing an embalment have anything to do
A. Yes. II a person could make an
examination Immediately after, i; would
be different.
@. Suppose the body was embalmed
in the morning and the examination
not made until late that day or the
next day, would the embalming have "a
tendency to cover up the condition? IL.
A. 1t would to a great extent. The
reason of that is because the embalming
fluid would have tendency to change
the color of the contents OF the cavities
in which it was thrown; bleaching it:
Q. Would it bring the organs back
to normal state? To certain extent,
yes. 1t would be very easy in emDalm-
ing the body to draw off all the secre-
tions of the abdomen and also to re-
move all the blood from the body, SO
that it would be almost impossible, ex.
cept where they were broken down, to
state whether there had been inflamma-
ton of the organs.
DIR. B. L. EIIlER.
am 20 years old, reside at Decatur
City and have been a regular practic-
ing physician and surgeon for four
years. l am familiar with the post
mortem examinations of females. I
assisted in the post mortem examine
tion of the body of Maude Stone. I
heard DR.. Layton's testimony and the
procedure was practically as he says.
After the incision was made we dis
covered q quantity of yellow serum in
iWA1Sll ouCI0 WIS PuS. 1llc poflUOu0um
or covering of the bowels was inflamed
and there was considerable pus. The
appendix was in a normal condition,
There was some degree of inflamina-
tion of the Ovaries and small cyst on
the right one. The uterus wis larger
than normal and the inside was in
famed. The left cornu contained
shreds of what is commonly called
placenta. There was evidence of it
having been attached to the walls. Of
the uterus. There was infection ex.
tending from the womb in each direc.
tion from the upper outer corner
through the Fallopian tubes into the
abdominal cavity. The external ose or
opening of the womb was dilated and
in the right lower quadrant was o
liberation between quarter and Q
half inch in extent, such as would be
made by an instrument used to dilate
the womb for the purpose of Inducing
abortion. In my Judgment, the i'm
mediate cause of her death was acute
septicemia and peritonitis, the result
of infection from the uterus. The
uterus was enlarged and there was evi.
dence of it having been impregnated.
In my opinion this infection was the
result of some foreign septic material
being introduced, probably an instru-
ment for the purpose of abortion. I
saw nothing to make me believe that
this peritonitis. this infection OF the
abdominal cavity, which primarily
caused her death, came from any other
source than the womb. There was no
evidence whatever of appendicitis. If
there had been appendicitis, the APP
pendix would have been suppurated,
decayed and probably detached from
its normal position. Judging from my
experience, in peritonitis during the
last few hours of life there would be
elevation of temperature; the last
hours there might not be any pain;
sensibility would be benumped. Ifmor-
phine was being used to allay pain it is
possible the patient would feel better,
although nearing death. 3 / see nd rea-
son for thinking that this was leces-
sary operation or that it was dope to
save her life. She had been apparently
a healthy female and might have
carried the child to maturity and given
birth to it. Judging from the condi-
ton of the womb, the operation had
been recent, within the last week or
ten days. made an examination Of
the vagina. There was no hymen at
tached. would think from the exam
ination of the vagina that there had
been instruments used. q speculum or
L ~ ~ /.