wed
this up by a kick in the side and a blow on the head, neither of which,
however, was as severe as the first blow. The man fell unconscious and
died. At the autopsy there were no signs indicative of death, which
must have been due to the shock following the blow on the epigastrium.

As illustrative of the sensitiveness of the epigastric region, Vincent
relates the following case: "A man received a blow by a stick upon the
epigastrium. He had an anxious expression and suffered from oppression.
Irregular heart-action and shivering were symptoms that gradually
disappeared during the day. In the evening his appetite returned and he
felt well; during the night he died without a struggle, and at the
autopsy there was absolutely nothing abnormal to be found." Blows upon
the neck often produce sudden collapse. Prize-fighters are well aware
of the effects of a blow on the jugular vein. Maschka, quoted by
Warren, reports the case of a boy of twelve, who was struck on the
anterior portion of the larynx by a stone. He fell lifeless to the
ground, and at autopsy no local lesion was found nor any lesion
elsewhere. The sudden death may be attributed in this case partly to
shock and partly to cerebral anemia.

Soldiers have been seen to drop lifeless on the battle-field without
apparent injury or organic derangement; in the olden times this death
was attributed to fear and fright, and later was supposed to be caused
by what is called "the wind of a cannon-ball." Tolifree has written an
article on this cause of sudden death and others have discussed it. By
some it is maintained that the momentum acquired by a cannon-ball
generates enough force in the neighboring air to prostrate a person in
the immediate vicinity of its path of flight.

CHAPTER X.

SURGICAL ANOMALIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK.

Injuries of such a delicate organ as the eye, in which the slightest
accident can produce such disastrous consequences, naturally elicit the
interest of all. Examples of exophthalmos, or protrusion of the eye
from the orbit from bizarre causes, are of particular interest. Among
the older writers we find Ficker and the Ephemerides giving instances
of exophthalmos from vomiting. Fabricius Hildanus mentions a similar
instance. Salmuth, Verduc, and others mention extrusion of the eyeball
from the socket, due to excessive coughing. Ab Heers and Sennert
mention instances in which after replacement the sight was uninjured.
Tyler relates the cas