Sudden death from plugging of the pulmonary veins in a pregnant lady : read at the Medical Society of London / by Edward Smith.

  • Edward Smith
Date:
[1853]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sudden death from plugging of the pulmonary veins in a pregnant lady : read at the Medical Society of London / by Edward Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    /r^ SUDDEN DEATH FROM PLUGGING OF THE] PULMONARY VEINS IN A PREGNANT (LADV. [Read at the Medical Society of London.] BY EDWARD SMITH, M.D., LL.B., Secretary. O' On Sunday evening, April 24, I was urgently summoned to see a lady who was reported to be delirious. On arriving at the house, I found that she was dead, and had been so fully twenty minutes. She was a patient of Mr. Bartlett and Dr. Jackson, of Notting-hill, and was altogether unknown to me. I found that she was about 20 years of age, a little above the middle size, well developed, and in good condition, and within a few days of the term of utero- gestation of a second child. She had been perfectly well until within ten minutes of her death, except that she had complained of some pain and tenderness on the inner side of the left thigh, and, to relieve this, had been directed to lie in a recumbent position. She had eaten a very hearty dinner at three p.m., and tea at six p.m., and was full of spirits throughout the day, and up to nearly eight p.m. She had worn the stays used by pregnant ladies, even when lying upon the bed, contrary to the directions other medical adviser; and it is probable that they were well laced. The child was known to be alive on Saturday evening, but nothing could be learned as to its vitality on Sunday. While lying upon the bed, dressed, and with her stays on, and in excellent spirits, she suddenly uttered a shriek, and flung her arms about wildly, and cric-d, “ Oh, my head ! I cannot breathe ! I am going mad 1” and also, “ Give me my breath!” This continued for about five minutes, during which time her hand was placed upon her chest; and then she be- came calm for a moment, and said to her husband, There, Charles,