At the postmortem the cicatrix in the chest was plainly visible, and in the ascending aorta there was seen a wound, directly in the track of the knife, which was of irregular border and was occupied by a firm coagulum of blood.

The vessel had been completely penetrated, as, by laying it open, an internal cicatrix was found corresponding to the other.

Fatal hemorrhage had been avoided in this case by the formation of coagulum in the wound during the syncope immediately following the stab, possibly aided by extended exposure to cold.
Sundry Cases .-- Sandifort mentions a curious case of coalescence of the esophagus and aorta, with ulceration and consequent rupture of the aorta, the hemorrhage proceeding from the stomach at the moment of rupture.
Heath had a case of injury to the external iliac artery from external violence, with subsequent obliteration of the vessel.

When the patient was discharged no pulse could be found in the leg.
Dismukes reports a case in which the patient had received 13 wounds, completely severing the subclavian artery, and, without any medical or surgical aid, survived the injury two hours.
Illustrative of the degree of hemorrhage which may follow an injury so slight as that of falling on a needle we cite an instance, reported by a French authority, of a child who picked up a needle, and, while running with it to its mother, stumbled and fell, the needle penetrating the 4th intercostal space, the broadened end of it remaining outside of the wound.

The mother seized the needle between her teeth and withdrew it, but the child died, before medical aid could be summoned, from internal hemorrhage, causing pulmonary pressure and dyspnea.
Rupture of the esophagus is attributable to many causes.