Præ-mortem

The præ-mortem and the post-mortem heat mutually illustrate one another.

It is obvious that statistical deductions such as I have described above must not be derived from selected cases, neither must they rest on the frail foundation of præ-mortem diagnosis.

There were some old pericarditic adhesions over the left side of the left ventricle, and on separating these the heart-wall was torn through, and from the adherent infiltrated clot it was evident that at least a partial præ-mortem tearing of the heart-wall had occurred here, and perhaps complete perforation at a small rent, permitting of a slight hæmorrhage at the time of the collapse, 17 days before death.