The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-04-25
CAUSE OF MR.. DExTER's DEATH
Was Enlargement of the Spleen
His Case Without Precedent In
Medical History.


Medical History.
I[Cincinnati Enquirer of Friday April 49,
Every effort to find out anything
further regarding the alleged missing
will of the late John Dexter, of Column
bia, Tenn. who died in this city at
the Gait House on the 10th of this
month, was unavailing yesterday. At
the offices of the Cincinnati Cordage
and Paper Company on Main street
nobody would have anything to say.
Upon the advice of my attorney, !"
said Mr.. Whitaker, who was ap-
pointed administrator of the young
attorneys estate the day before by
Judge Ferris, II will have nothing
further to say in this matter.
An effort to obtain statement from
either Harry PEBBLES or the other
Young man who is said to have signed
Dexter's will, failed, as they were
under instructions not to talk.
'There is hardly any use for you to
SCI either of these men" saio Mr..
Whitaker, "for you will get nothing
out of them.
Twill an Enquirer representative
be able to see Mrs. Dexter at your resi-
dence today"
"No; we cannot allow you to talk to
Mrs. Dexter.
What physician attended Mr.. Dex-
ter during his illness?'
"Well, you will have to find that
OUTPUT latter a pause) l guess
may as we'll tell you since you would
be able to find it out anyway. It
was DR.. Haerr.
The interview at the cordage COM
pany's Office was necessarily brief, that
being all that could be learned.
A Remarkable Ailment.
When seen last evening DR.. Haerr
said that Dexter did not die of con-
sumption, as had been stated, but from
septicaemia, incident to the bursting
of an abscess on the spleen.
''Mr. Dexter's ailment. said DR..
Haerr, twas one of the most peculiar
I ever saw. He had an abnormal
spleen. You know that the normal
spleen in man is about 81 inches
long, 81 inches wide and inch thick. |
An autopsy performed by myself on
young Dexter discovered a spleen 18 |
inches long, inches thick, and from
to inches wide at either end. 1t |
was covered with assesses. and death |
was caused by the bursting of one of
these. The spleen had penetrated up
into the chest cavity, almost displacing
the heart, and, bearing in at a terrible
pressure on the left lung, caused the
hacking and coughing which forced
many to the conclusion that he had
pulmonary trouble. At the start !
diagnosed the case as spleen enlarge
ment, and the autopsy proved the ac-
curacy of that diagnosis. A number
of prominent doctors examined the
spleen and pronounced the case the
most extraordinary Of any that had
ever come under their observation. So
far as am informed the case is with
out precedent in medical history
'What is your opinion as to the time
that must have been required for the
enlarg cement of the spleen to the pro- /
portions you manner" Dr. Haerr was
asked.
81 am of the opinion that it must
have taken nearly, if not quite all the
unfortunate mans life. l believe that
was also the opinion of Dr.. Haynes. of
the Coronors staff, as we'll as DR..
Mead. -
"What do you think caused it?''
81 am entirely unable to say"
"Did this enlargement of the spleen
cause an enlargement of the chest cav
ity that could be noticed externally"
"It did. The left side of Dexter's
chest was ~ inches larger than the
right.
ibid you ever notice any evidence
Of mental trouble in Dexter2'
eyes. l thought did The Friday
before he died he came to my Office. I
was surprised to see man in his con-
iition walking the streets, and repri-
handed him for venturing from his
DOM. He smiled and in half jesting !!
way said that he was worried as to !
whether his Elk friends would hold
ervices over his remains when he died,