anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第160部分

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ably　the　sword…swallower　who　showed　the　physicians　to　what　extent　the　pharynx　could　be　habituated　to　contact；　and　from　this　resulted　the　invention　of　the　tube　of　Faucher；　the　esophageal　sound；　ravage　of　the　stomach；　and　illumination　of　this　organ　by　electric　light。　Some　of　these　individuals　also　have　the　faculty　of　swallowing　several　pebbles；　as　large　even　as　hen's　eggs；　and　of　disgorging　them　one　by　one　by　simple　contractions　of　the　stomach。　From　time　to　time　individuals　are　seen　who　possess　the　power　of　swallowing　pebbles；　knives；　bits　of　broken　glass；　etc。；　and；　in　fact；　there　have　been　recent　tricky　exhibitionists　who　claimed　to　be　able　to　swallow　poisons；　in　large　quantities；　with　impunity。　Henrion；　called　〃Casaandra；〃　a　celebrated　example　of　this　class；　was　born　at　Metz　in　1761。　Early　in　life　he　taught　himself　to　swallow　pebbles；　sometimes　whole　and　sometimes　after　breaking　them　with　his　teeth。　He　passed　himself　off　as　an　American　savage；　he　swallowed　as　many　as　30　or　40　large　pebbles　a　day；　demonstrating　the　fact　by　percussion　on　the　epigastric　region。　With　the　aid　of　salts　he　would　pass　the　pebbles　and　make　them　do　duty　the　next　day。　He　would　also　swallow　live　mice　and　crabs　with　their　claws　cut。　It　was　said　that　when　the　mice　were　introduced　into　his　mouth；　they　threw　themselves　into　the　pharynx　where　they　were　immediately　suffocated　and　then　swallowed。　The　next　morning　they　would　be　passed　by　the　rectum　flayed　and　covered　with　a　mucous　substance。　Henrion　continued　his　calling　until　1820；　when；　for　a　moderate　sum；　he　was　induced　to　swallow　some　nails　and　a　plated　iron　spoon　5　1/2　inches　long　and　one　inch　in　breadth。　He　died　seven　days　later。　

According　to　Bonet；　there　was　a　man　by　the　name　of　Pichard　who　swallowed　a　razor　and　two　knives　in　the　presence　of　King　Charles　II　of　England；　the　King　himself　placing　the　articles　into　the　man's　mouth。　In　1810　Babbington　and　Curry　are　accredited　with　citing　the　history　of　an　American　sailor　in　Guy's　Hospital；　London；　who　frequently　swallowed　penknives　for　the　amusement　of　his　audiences。　At　first　he　swallowed　four；　and　three　days　later　passed　them　by　the　anus；　on　another　occasion　he　swallowed　14　of　different　sizes　with　the　same　result。　Finally　he　attempted　to　gorge　himself　with　17　penknives；　but　this　performance　was　followed　by　horrible　pains　and　alarming　abdominal　symptoms。　His　excrement　was　black　from　iron。　After　death　the　cadaver　was　opened　and　14　corroded　knives　were　found　in　the　stomach；　some　of　the　handles　being　partly　digested；　two　were　found　in　the　pelvis　and　one　in　the　abdominal　cavity。　Pare　recalls　the　instance　of　a　shepherd　who　suffered　distressing　symptoms　after　gulping　a　knife　six　inches　long。　Afterward　the　knife　was　abstracted　from　his　groin。　Fabricius　Hildanus　cites　a　somewhat　similar　case。

Early　in　the　century　there　was　a　man　known　as　the　〃Yankee　knife…swallower；〃　whose　name　was　John　Cummings；　an　American　sailor；　who　had　performed　his　feats　in　nearly　all　the　ports　of　the　world。　One　of　his　chief　performances　was　swallowing　a　billiard　ball。　Poland　mentions　a　man　（possibly　Cummings）　who；　in　1807；　was　admitted　to　Guy's　Hospital　with　dyspeptic　symptoms　which　he　attributed　to　knife…swallowing。　His　story　was　discredited　at　first；　but　after　his　death；　in　March；　1809；　there　were　30　or　40　fragments　of　knives　found　in　his　stomach。　One　of　the　back…springs　on　a　knife　had　transfixed　the　colon　and　rectum。　In　the　Edinburgh　Philosophical　Journal　for　1825　there　is　an　account　of　a　juggler　who　swallowed　a　knife　which　remained　in　his　stomach　and　caused　such　intense　symptoms　that　gastrotomy　was　advised；　the　patient；　however；　refused　operation。

Drake　reports　a　curious　instance　of　polyphagia。　The　person　described　was　a　man　of　twenty…seven　who　pursued　the　vocation　of　a　〃sword…swallower。〃　He　had　swallowed　a　gold　watch　and　chain　with　a　seal　and　key　attached；　at　another　time　he　swallowed　34　bullets　and　voided　them　by　the　anus。　At　Poughkeepsie；　N。Y。；　in　August；　1819；　in　one　day　and　night　he　swallowed　19　pocket…knives　and　41　copper　cents。　This　man　had　commenced　when　a　lad　of　fifteen　by　swallowing　marbles；　and　soon　afterward　a　small　penknife。　After　his　death　his　esophagus　was　found　normal；　but　his　stomach　was　so　distended　as　to　reach　almost　to　the　spine　of　the　ilium；　and　knives　were　found　in　the　stomach　weighing　one　pound　or　more。　In　his　exhibitions　he　allowed　his　spectators　to　hear　the　click　of　the　knives　and　feel　them　as　low　down　as　the　anterior　superior　spine　of　the　ilium。

The　present　chief　of　the　dangerous　〃profession〃　of　sword…swallowing　is　Chevalier　Cliquot；　a　French　Canadian　by　birth；　whose　major　trick　is　to　swallow　a　real　bayonet　sword；　weighted　with　a　cross…bar　and　two　18…pound　dumbbells。　He　can　swallow　without　difficulty　a　22…inch　cavalry　sword；　formerly；　in　New　York；　he　gave　exhibitions　of　swallowing　fourteen　19…inch　bayonet　swords　at　once。　A　negro；　by　the　name　of　Jones；　exhibiting　not　long　since　in　Philadelphia；　gave　hourly　exhibitions　of　his　ability　to　swallow　with　impunity　pieces　of　broken　glass　and　china。

Foreign　Bodies　in　the　Alimentary　Canal。In　the　discussion　of　the　foreign　bodies　that　have　been　taken　into　the　stomach　and　intestinal　tract　possibly　the　most　interesting　cases；　although　the　least　authentic；　are　those　relating　to　living　animals；　such　as　fish；　insects；　or　reptiles。　It　is　particularly　among　the　older　writers　that　we　find　accounts　of　this　nature。　In　the　Ephemerides　we　read　of　a　man　who　vomited　a　serpent　that　had　crept　into　his　mouth；　and　of　another　person　who　ejected　a　beetle　that　had　gained　entrance　in　a　similar　manner。　From　the　same　authority　we　find　instances　of　the　vomiting　of　live　fish；　mice；　toads；　and　also　of　the　passage　by　the　anus　of　live　snails　and　snakes。　Frogs　vomited　are　mentioned　by　Bartholinus；　Dolaeus；　Hellwigius；　Lentilus；　Salmuth；　and　others。　Vege　mentions　a　man　who　swallowed　a　young　chicken　whole。　Paullini　speaks　of　a　person　who；　after　great　pain；　vomited　a　mouse　which　he　had　swallowed。　Borellus；　Bartholinus；　Thoner；　and　Viridet；　are　among　the　older　authorities　mentioning　persons　who　swallowed　toads。　Hippocrates　speaks　of　asphyxia　from　a　serpent　which　had　crawled　into　the　mouth。

Borellus　states　that　he　knew　a　case　of　a　person　who　vomited　a　salamander。　Plater　reports　the　swallowing　of　eels　and　snails。　Rhodius　mentions　persons　who　have　eaten　scorpions　and　spiders　with　impunity。　Planchon　writes　of　an　instance　in　which　a　live　spider　was　ejected　from　the　bowel；　and　Colini　reports　the　passage　of　a　live　lizard　which　had　been　swallowed　two　days　before；　and　there　is　another　similar　case　on　record。　Marcellus　Donatus　records　an　instance　in　which　a　viper；　which　had　previously　crawled　into　the　mouth；　had　been　passed　by　the　anus。　There　are　also　recorded　instances　in　French　literature　in　which　persons　affected　with　pediculosis；　have；　during　sleep；　unconsciously　swallowed　lice　which　were　afterward　found　in　the　stools。

There　is　an　abundance　of　cases　in　which　leeches　have　been　accidentally　swallowed。　Pliny；　Aetius；　Dioscorides；　Scribonius…Largus；　Celsus；　Oribasius；　Paulus　Aegineta；　and　others；　describe　such　cases。　Bartholinus　speaks　of　a　Neapolitan　prince　who；　while　hunting；　quenched　his　thirst　in　a　brook；　putting　his　mouth　in　the　running　water。　In　this　way　he　swallowed　a　leech；　which　subsequently　caused　annoying　hemorrhage　from　the　mouth。　Timaeus　mentions　a　child　of　five　who　swallowed　several　leeches；　and　who　died　of　abdominal　pains；　hemorrhage；　and　convulsions。　Rhodius；　Riverius；　and　Zwinger　make　similar　observations。　According　to　Baron　Larrey　the　French　soldiers　in　Napoleon's　Egyptian　campaign　occasionally　swallowed　leeches。　Grandchamp　and　Duval　have　commented　on　curious　observations　of　leeches　in　the　digestive　tract。　Dumas　and　Marques　also　speak　of　the　swallowing　of　leeches。　Colter　reports　a　case　in　which　beetles　were　vomited。　Wright　remarks　on　Banon's　case　of　fresh…water　shrimps　passed　from　the　human　intestine。　Dalton；　Dickman；　and　others；　have　discussed　the　possibility　of　a　slug　living　in　the　stomach　of　man。　Pichells　speaks　of　a　case　in　which　beetles　were　expelled　from　the　stomach；　and　Pigault　gives　an　account　of　a　living　lizard　expelled　by　vomiting。　Fontaine；　Gaspard；　Vetillart；　Ribert；　MacAlister；　and　Waters　record　cases　in　which　living　caterpillars　have　been　swallowed。

Sundry　Cases。The　variety　of　foreign　bodies　that　have　been　swallowed　either　accidentally　or　for　exhibitional　or　suicidal　purposes　is　enormous。　Nearly　every　imaginable　article　from　the　minutest　to　the　most　incredible　size　has　been　reported。　To　begin　to　epitomize　the　literature　on　this　subject　would　in　itself　consume　a　volume；　and　only　a　few　instances　can　be　given　here；　chosen　in　such　a　way　as　to　show　the　variety；　the　effects；　and　the　possibilities　of　their　passage　through　the　intestinal　canal。

Chopart　says　that　in　1774　the　belly　of　a　ravenous　galley…slave　was　opened；　and　in　the　stomach　were　found　52　foreign　bodies；　including　a　barrel…hoop　19　inches　long；　nails；　pieces　of　pipe；　spoons；　buckles；　seeds；　glass；　and　a　knife。　In　the　intestines　of　a　person　Agnew　found　a　pair　of　suspenders；　a　mass　of　straw；　and　three　roller…bandages；　an　inch　in　width　and　diameter。　Velpeau　mentions　a　fork　which　was　passed　from　the　anus　twenty　months　after　it　was　swallowed。　Wilson　mentions　an　instance　of　gastrotomy　which　was　performed　for　the　extraction　of　a　fork　swallowed　sixteen　years　before。　There　is　an　interesting　case　in　which；　in　a　delirium　of　typhoid　fever；　a　girl　of　twenty…two　swallowed　two　iron　forks；　which　were　subsequently　expelled　through　an　abdominal　abscess。　A　French　woman　of　thirty…five；　with　suicidal　intent；　swallowed　a　four…pronged　fork；　which　was　removed　four　years　afterward　from　the　thigh。　For　two　years　she　had　suffered　intense　pain　in　both　thighs。　In　the　Royal　College　of　Surgeons　in　London　there　is　a　steel　button…hook　3　1/2　inches　in　length　which　was　accidentally　swallowed；　and　was　passed　three　weeks　later　by　the　anus；　without　having　given　rise　to　any　symptom。

Among　the　insane　a　favorite　trait　seems　to　be　swallowing　nails。　In　the　Philosophical　Transactions　is　an　account　of　the　contents　of　the　stomach　of　an　idiot　who　died　at　thirty…three。　In　this　organ　were　found　nine　cart…wheel　nails；　six　screws；　two　pairs　of　compasses；　a　key；　an　iron　pin；　a　ring；　a　brass　pommel　weighing　nine　ounces；　and