The contents of the abdomen appeared perfectly natural, except the colon sinistrum or descending colon, which was found to be entirely destitute of the sigmoid flexure; the gut passed along the left lumbar and through the iliac regions in nearly a straight line to the neck of the bladder, into which, after making an abrupt but imperfect curve, and being sud denly contracted in its dimensions, it was in serted just behind the base of the prostate gland. The aperture which united the gut and bladder into one common receptacle for their respective contents was of sufficient capacity to admit a large-sized goose-quill ; through this aperture the urine found a ready egress into the intestine, where, becoming united with the contents of that receptacle, it was forced back into the bladder, and finally excluded through the urethra. The space between the perineum and the termination of the intestine was occupied by a soft fatty substance, but there was not the slightest vestige of a gut.* The subjoined woodcut represents the parts of one half the natural size when merely in flated.
We have given the above in detail, not merely on account of the remarkable nature of the anatomical deviation, but as connected with the still more interesting fact, that life was under such circumstances sustained, and healthy defxcation accomplished for nearly a year after birth.
M. Roux of Brignolles operated success fully in May, 1833, on a new-born child, in whom the same malformation appears to have existed ; no trace of anus could be discovered in the perineum, and the rectum terminated at the urethra, through which some Feral matter was discharged ; the infant lived, and enjoyed good health.• Rickets.—lleformities of the bones arising from rickets have been occasionally observed both in the child at birth and in the immature fcetus ; but the instances have been few in number ; the writer has never had an opportu nity of examining a case of the kind, but they have been described by authors of credit. Pinel has given an account of a ricketty fetus of eight months, in which the deformity was chiefly confined to the lower extremities.t Chaussiert examined another at the MaternitE at Paris, in which there was distortion of the back and thorax, with softness and flexibility of the bones. Several other writers of respect ability have described this affection.§ Jaundice.—The fetus in utero, as well as the child at birth, has been found exhibiting all the characters of true jaundice. In the case
of a lady, related by Duges,11 who was herself liable to frequent attacks of this disease, and had biliary calculi, all her children were born dead, and strongly coloured by jaundice. It is not, however, always fatal to the child affected with it before birth.
Cirronosis.—Under this Professor Lobstein of Strasburg has described" an affec tion of the fwtus in which the serous or trans parent membranes, as the peritoneum, pleura, pericardium, and arachnoid, were stained of a strong yellow colour, which in some instances was found to pervade also the brain, spinal marrow, and the great sympathetic nerves. The cause of this peculiar colour is altogether a matter of doubt, but it differs from jaundice in not affecting the parenchymatous cellular tissue of internal organs, the subcutaneous cellular tissue, nor the skin, and it is found so early as the third and fourth months, a period at which the bile is not as yet secreted. For a more ample account of this affection see the article CIRRONOSIS.
Accidental morbid tissues observed in the fatus.—Some of these have been already inci dentally noticed under different heads in the present article, but it appears desirable to advert to them here as a group for the sake of distinction.
Tubercles have been found by the writer and others, as already referred to, in the lungs, liver, brain, spleen, peritoneum, and mesen tery, the glands of which have been found by Miler in a state of complete scrofulous dege neration, not only in children born of a scro fulous mother, but in others also: in some instances the tubercular formations were found in a state of suppuration.* Scirrhous tumours have been already des cribed as found in the heart.
The only instance of fungus hmmatodes in the foetus of which the writer is aware, is one which he had, not long since, an opportunity of observing-I- with Dr. Alcock and Dr. Evan son in a child which lived only nine weeks ; at birth an unusual fulness was observed about the perineum and anus, which increased ra pidly until these parts became greatly pro truded, and a tumour was formed of the size of a very large orange; convulsions came on, and the child died after much suffering : on examination, the tumour was found to be a perfect specimen of fungus hrematodes.