When first seen by Dr. Beaumont about a
half hour after the accident, a portion of the lung, as large as
a turkey's egg was found protruding through the external wound.
The protruding lung was lacerated and burnt. Immediately below
this was another protrusion, which proved to be a portion of the
stomach, lacerated through all its coats. Through an orifice,
large enough to admit a fore-finger, oozed the remnants of the
food he had taken for breakfast. His injuries were dressed;
extensive sloughing commenced, and the wound became considerably
enlarged. Portions of the lung, cartilages, ribs, and of the
ensiform process of the sternum came away. In a year from the
time of the accident, the wound, with the exception of a
fistulous aperture of the stomach and side, had completely
cicatrized. This aperture was about 2 1/2 inches in
circumference, and through it food and drink constantly extruded
unless prevented by a tent-compress and bandage. The man had so
far recovered as to be able to walk and do light work, his
digestion and appetite being normal. Some months later a small
fold or doubling of the stomachal coats slightly protruded until
the whole aperture was filled, so as to supersede the necessity
of a compress, the protruding coats acting as a valve when the
stomach was filled.
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