5. Inflammation from lesion of internal organs. 6. Destruction of the natural functions of the organs, and, as a result, malnutrition of the body. Except in the first case, when death is instantaneous, wounds of the abdomen are not as a rule immediately fatal. Wounds of the _genital organs_ of the female may cause fatal hæmorrhage, which takes place from the plexus of veins which, in these parts, are devoid of valves. A kick from behind whilst the woman is stooping or kneeling may rupture the labial vessels and death supervene. Blows and kicks upon the abdomen do not often injure the non-gravid uterus, but during gestation may produce abortion and hæmorrhage. If the pregnancy be advanced the uterus may be ruptured or the placenta separated. Penetrating wounds either through the abdominal wall, or per vaginam in the attempt to procure abortion, cause hæmorrhage and peritonitis with septic infection. FRACTURES OF BONES Unless they implicate some special structure, such as the brain and medulla, simple fractures are not considered dangerous to life. When compound, they may be complicated with hæmorrhage and infective processes. Certain pathological conditions favour the spontaneous fracture of bones, or this occurrence with such slight violence as would not cause fracture in the normal may take place. In old people bones are more liable to fracture from their brittle condition. Liability to easy fracture occurs in the insane, in nervous lesions as locomotor ataxia and general paralysis of the insane, when the bones are the seat of new growths, in fragillitas ossium, osteopsathyrosis; in the latter disease I have seen the femur fracture by the weight of the leg while resting the foot on a cushion. The liability to fracture depends upon the proportion of organic and inorganic constituents. In disease, the latter may be reduced and predispose to fracture; in the young, the bones are more liable to greenstick or incomplete fracture; and in the old, from excess of inorganic constituents causing brittleness. A medical man may be required to express an opinion as to whether or not fractures are the result of direct violence, and especially when allegations have been made against attendants on the senile or insane. The previous predisposing pathological conditions must always be taken into account, and also the amount, if any, of repair that has followed in relation to the time the alleged violence took place. As the condition of a fracture of the bone of a limb may become a question of considerable importance in medico-legal investigations, the following brief account of the process of repair in fractures is given: _From the First to the Third Day._--The period of inflammation and exudation. Ordinary signs of inflammation and laceration of the parts. Blood will be found extravasated round the fracture, also in the medullary canal mixed up with the fat.