CASE X.
Jane Roff, æt. 28.
This person was admitted to the Obstetric Ward,
labouring under cancer of the uterus, Feb. 4, 1852. She died Feb. 8,
and on the 9th the body was placed on the tble for inspection.
When proceeding to perform this duty, Dr. Lloyd
was struck with the peculiar dingy appearance of the skin,
and in consequence, prior to commencing, sought me to look at it.
The appearance, though not very strongly marked, was certainly such as to
create a strong suspicion that something was wrong with the capsules.
On exposing the organ on the right side, it presented a perfectly
healthy appearance, and we felt disposed to conclude that our
anticipation would turn out to be erroneous.
On proceeding to examine the left capsule, however,
we were much surprised to find a very extraordinary, and, I suspect,
an extremely rare condition of parts.
A malignant tumour had developed at that precise point,
where the large vein escapes from the organ;
this tubercle projected into the interior of the vein,
so as almost or entirely to obstruct it,
and had moreover led to rupture and effusion into,
or a sort of apoplexy of the capsule itself.
This case would render it probable that the excess of dark pigment,
so characteristic of renal capsular disease,
depended rather upon an interruption to some special function,
than upon the nature of the organic change; for, with the exception
of the manifestly recent sanguineous effusion into its tissue,
the capsule itself did not appear to have undergone any considerable
deterioration. Vide Pl. VIII. figs. 2, 3.