Elements of medical jurisprudence / By Theodric Romeyn Beck and John B. Beck.
- Theodric Romeyn Beck
- Date:
- 1836
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Elements of medical jurisprudence / By Theodric Romeyn Beck and John B. Beck. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![plaster into the part. Fistula in a?io, in the same manner. It is only necessary to cleanse the parts, and examine their condition, in order to ascertain the real nature of the disease. Wounds, with reference to this subject, are very properly divided by Drs. Scott, Marshall, and Forbes, into fictitious and factitious. Of the first, or those which have no existence, or are very slight, it would seem that they are most commonly feigned during action, to avoid danger. Contusions may be intentionally given ; but their appearance seldom equals the impinging of musket or cannon balls. One case is mentioned, where the part was stained to imitate the purplish yellow hue of ecchymosis when on the decrease. It was alleged that the con- tusion had been received some time previous.* Fractures of the thigh have been feigned ; but it is found, on examination, that the muscles of the injured leg are hard and in full action, while those of the other are inactive and soft. A piece of metal has also been inserted into the head, to indicate previous fracture of some part of the skull. Mr. Marshall mentions a case where a soldier thus succeeded in procuring a discharge. He was, however, afterwards detected.f Under slight wounds, I may as well notice the insertion of needles into various parts of the body — as the arms, hands, breasts, &c. Two cases are related of females doing this. One happened at the Rich- mond Hospital, Dublin ; and the irritation and inflammation ran so high as to render amputation near the shoulder-joint necessary. The other was at Copenhagen. As the needles were extracted, others were inserted in different places, so that no less than four hundred were removed, from various abscesses, in about three years. In the first instance, the individual made a confession ; in the second, she was seen introducing them under the skin.]: Factitious wounds, or mutilations produced voluntarily, present some points of greater difficulty. It will always be a question whether they were not caused accidentally. The practice itself is of ancient date. Among the conscripts of Ancient Rome, a common species of mutilation was cutting off the thumb, and from this (pollicem trun- cando) it would appear that our modern word poltroon is derived.§ It was common during the last war both in England and in France ; and the injuries were inflicted either by fire-arms or cutting instru- ments, and generally on the upper or lower extremities. In one regi- ment, at the Cape of Good Hope, nine disabled themselves in six weeks, for the purpose of being discharged.|| Each case demands a separate investigation. A dragoon said that his horse had bitten off his finger ; but he forgot to wipe his bloody sword, which lay in the manger. Another came running with two amputated fingers, produced, as he said, by the collision of water- casks. The cuts were clean, and the amputation complete. Another lost his thumb by falling on broken glass; but there was not the mark * Scott, vol. ii. p. 156*. f Marshall, p. 173. % Scott, vol. ii. p. 148. § Scott, vol. ii. p. 156; || Marshall, p. 177.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2044347x_0055.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
