Appendix 1. Translation of Autopsy

Translation of Ludwig Haber’s autopsy report published in ‘Dr Stuart Eldridge: An American Surgeon in the Japanese Government Employ in Meiji’ pp207-211

The system of the report did not seem to be applied consistently and there were several gaps in the original chart.

In this translation the word ‘process’ is the general anatomical term used to refer to any marked projection or prominence.

A detailed glossary and diagrams of the human skull can be found at
http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface/physiognomy/cranium.jsp


Details of the Injury
Length / Depth
Summary
1. A cut above the spine* of the left scapula (shoulder blade).
* a sharp, slender process
One and a half inches long.
The skin was pierced and the muscle penetrated.
2. A cut immediately below injury 1, level with the very top of the left humerus (upper arm bone).
Half an inch long.
The skin was pierced and the muscle penetrated.
3. A stab wound one inch below the inferior angle of the right scapula.
One inch long, one inch deep.
No note
4. A horizontal cut immediately below the left armpit that cut across the chest.
Three and a half inches long, one inch deep.
No note
5. A diagonal cut over the rib cage, spanning the 8th, 9th and 10th ribs.
Six inches long, one inch deep.
No note
6. A cut at the top of the left arm immediately above the point at which the trapezius muscle is attached.
Half an inch long.
A superficial wound, on the surface of the skin.
7. A stab wound (not stated where).
Three quarters of an inch long (not stated how deep).
No note
8. A deep cut / stab wound to the left arm immediately above the elbow: a diagonal cut from the outer side of the arm through to the inner side.
The elbow and part of the ulna (a forearm bone) were separated and the back section of the top of the radius (a forearm bone) was severed.
Four inches long.
This injury was no doubt inflicted when the arm was tightly bent, since the elbow was severed.
9. A stab wound to the outer side of the left forearm: the radius was completely fractured near the elbow, and in the upper third and in the middle third sections of the forearm.
Two inches long, and a little over one inch deep.
No note
10. A stab wound to the left wrist, spanning approximately half the wrist from the ulna-side.
Two inches long, one and a quarter inches deep.
An artery was severed.
11. A deep stab wound very similar to injury 8: in the right arm immediately above the elbow, a diagonal cut from the outer side of the arm through to inner side that penetrated the elbow.
The upper sections of the ulna and the radius and an artery were completely severed.
Three and a half inches long
Like injury 8, this wound was inflicted when the arm was completely bent.
12. A stab wound to the left knee, piercing it through from front to back, splitting the patella (kneecap) in two.
A section of the join with the tibia (shinbone) was severed.
Both an artery and the nerves were severed and the lower leg remained attached by the skin.
Not stated
No note
13. A vertical stab wound to the tibia that split its upper section and its core / central section. (not stated which leg).
Three inches long (not stated how deep).
No note
14. A diagonal stab would that cut across the centre of the left tibia and extended downwards into the leg.
Three inches long.
The depth of the wound was the whole thickness of the bone.
15. A V-shaped cut on the left side of the head. The apex of the wound was approximately an inch to the left of the mid-point of the coronal suture. From here the wound extended downwards and forwards, to the edge of the forehead boss (protrusion). It then extended outwards and downwards, to an inch above the left acoustic meatus (ear hole).
The longer side (of the V) was four inches long; the shorter side three inches long.
The scalp within the ‘V’ had completely detached from the cranium (skull).
There was a one inch to one and a half inches - long vertical crack at the top of the frontal bone.
16. A cut along the coronal suture beginning an inch and a half to the right of its mid-point.
Two inches long.
The scalp was removed and the cranium fractured.

17. A blow (with the sword) to the left parietal bone (located in the central and upper area of the cranium), that extended downwards and towards the back of the head, to the edge of the process of the occipital bone (located at the back of the cranium).
Four and a half inches long.
Unable to determine the depth.
The cranium was completely fractured along the whole length of the wound.
18. A cut extending from the right supraorbital process (eyebrow) to the squamosal suture.
Two and a half inches long.
An artery was severed.
19. A stab wound removing the skin on the process at the back of the head.
Two inches in diameter.
The cranium was not exposed.
20. A blow (of the sword) extending from immediately below the left zygomatic process of the sphenoid bone (temple) to three quarters of an inch to the left of the point where the occipital bone meets the spinal cord.
It penetrated the left acoustic meatus and extended downwards and inwards, an inch deep through the occipital bone. The left side of the frontal bone was completely fractured.
Five and a half inches long.
The temporal bone was completely fractured.
As a result of the base of the occipital bone being fractured, three quarters of an inch of the cerebellum was exposed.
21. A stab wound to the centre of the left chest muscle.
Half an inch long.
A superficial wound, on the surface of the skin.
22. A circular piece of the surface of the right heel severed.
One inch in diameter.
No note
Overview

Injuries 9,10, 11, 12, and 18 would not have been instantly critical notwithstanding the loss of blood. Injuries 15 and 16 are extremely dangerous injuries by nature, but it cannot be said with certainty that they would have been fatal. Injury 17 would have probably caused death sooner or later. 20 would have been immediately fatal. The other injuries were ones from which he would have been expected to recover. [signed by (an unnamed) Japanese doctor]