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B. M. VANCE, M.D.

Arch Surg. 1923;7(1):197-212.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The observation of Aristotle¹ that the intestine of deer is so fragile that a slight blow will cause it to rupture without injuring the skin is probably the first record that we have of injuries of the intestine following an abdominal contusion.

However, it was not until the seventeenth century, when the making of postmortem dissections first became widely practiced, that traumatic intestinal perforation was given its due recognition as an important surgical condition. Bonetus² describes the case of a huntsman who was dashed violently against a tree by a stag. Later, necropsy disclosed five circular holes in the ileum and cecum, presumably the result of violence sustained by the intestine when distended by fluid.

Morgagni³ mentions several cases of ruptured intestine following the kick of a horse, or a blow from a stick. He believes the pre-disposing cause of the rupture is the fragility of the . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Assistant Medical Examiner, New York; Instructor in the Department of Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University NEW YORK

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