Gynaecological pathology: Fallopian tube: Ruptured tubal pregnancy

(a) A 1947 autopsy specimen from a 30 year old woman who felt sudden lower abdominal pain and collapsed, pale and sweating. Her doctor found her shocked and pale, pulse 120, respirations 26. He arranged to review her in three hours. She died an hour and a half later, and autopsy revealed 2 litres of blood in the abdomen. (b) A 1943 autopsy specimen from a woman seized with abdominal pain whilst doing her housework, collapsing several minutes later. A doctor was called, and finding no obvious explanation ordered her to bed and arranged to call back three hours later. He was called urgently by the husband an hour afterwards and arrived to find the patient dead. She had not missed a period.