Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-03-23

"'""es, tne tnimb OF the left hand and
me great Toe OF the right foot His com
f was subject, nightly, to profuse colIiouarive
sweats. But while losing flesh under a yo.
racious appetite all the functions were per-
formed with regularity his pulse was repu-
Jar, his sleep sound, and his complexion was
OF healthy hue, inclined 10 be Horid. In
me mean time the abdomen increased greats
" IN size, and motion like that Of cot in
bag, was apparent to Tho hand when laid
upon the region of the stomach. But he was
at all times subject to fainting fits of pecu-
liar Kind. Sometimes he dropped down sud
denly, without sense or motion. At other
times ne nearly fell, but recovered imtnedi-
ateiy, though always attended with prostra>
tion OF strength for some hours afterwards.
The sensation, as he described il, was that Of
violent blow within the stomach; and very
much like that produced by an electric shock,
excepting in being more local.
Such extraordinaty symptoms denoted
some extraordinary cause of disturbance.
lie had been for ten years under the care of
ms family physician, and had been subjected
10 various modes Of treatment, without any
abatement Of these symptoms He had taken
me most active emetIcs, and The most drastic
ca'hartics, without any good effect When
arteriai action was high, he was bled conf
ousiy, sometimes losing sixteen ounces daily
ior three days successfully. When il was
LOW, the most powerful siinulants were adj
minis'ered, opium, ether, brandy, bark,
! being sometimes given, each in sufficient
quantities 10 kill a man of ordinary health
and strength. All the while he insisted that
some living animal was in his stomach, and
related the incident al The spring, and his
subsequent sensations. His ply Stefan was
incredu!ous, saying that he had read of such
things, but did not consider any case ell
authenticated, or believe that an animal could
resist the solvent power of the gastric fluids
10 the human stomach. The patient, finding
every unpleasant symptom increasing. re.
solved 10 seek additional aid. and a consnl,a-
ton was ordered. Five OF our most emf
nent physicians attended, and after minute
examination, came 10 the conclusion that the
conjecture OF the patient was probable: for
though neither OF them had ever witnessed
case of living animal in the human s,om
hch, yet several cases were recorded which
they considered authentic. They also said
that comparative anatomy furnished analo-
gies; tor living frogs, ioads, and fishes had
been found in the somachs of snakes. mary
hours after they had been swallowed, and
that this proved the power of the vital prin-
cipie IN resisting, TO some extent, the solvent
power OF the gastric fluids
Having assumed this hypothesis as broba.
tile, they next proceeded to act upon H.
They rejected all medicines, very properly
concluding tina! if the vital principle could
resist the solvent pow ers OF the stomach. il
would resist the action oil any substances
which the stomach was able 10 bear. and
concluding also that as powerful medicines
had already failed, il was not philosophical to
repeat them.
they ordered entire abstinence from sli
1000 and accordingly, the patien, took none
1of I'VE days. Durisg this period the pa in in
the stomach was eXcrucialing, and the mo.
ZION 'ioie",, resembling that Of spiral rev.
oihtion OF rope upon cylinder. The pait.
becoming too intense TO bear, for the patient
was m rhring deiiriun, the ply sicians sug.
gested that opium might act upon the nerves
nf the stomach, misunderstanding the animal
/ IL II were one, and that in search of food il
might force IFS way through the oesophaeus.
This was tried and with success the patient
being thrown into disturbed sleep. while
the motion III tile stomach increased in yiox
lence. lie was then held in a recumbep, ma.
sition, with the lace downward. and the btitIv
Inclined to an angle Of forty five degrees ,he
heau oeing lowest. In about ten fnfnutes.
The cause OF the difficulty Was manifest. A
snake OF da{k brown color, and large size,
protruded full eight inches from the mouth
with ITS eyes bright and glarfng with every
manifestation of rage. One Of the physi.
cians Immediately seized ii by the neck. with
The intention OF drawing II out, but sudden.
~ TELL Hat upon the floor, without sense or
motion. as il struck by lightning! Like the
conger eel, the torpedo, and several other
| species oi marine animals, the reptile was g.
fecfrtc, and thus were the fainting fits Of The
pat;en; explained.
But measure was soon devised to meet
this Dew difficulty. One OF the physicians
covered the handles Of large pair of forceus
with silk, and stood ready 10 seize the snake
should IL again appear. This soon happened.
and II was seized and drawn DIT about two
ieei, struggling most violently and emi,t;no
tremendous shocks of electricity, Eve ~
the attending physicians, who accidentally
touched II IN the struggle, were knocked
down. IL was now feared tina, the elec,ric
shock would destroy The patient and il was
furthermore asceriained that florn i,s size
u could mol be drawn out without imminent
danger OF rup,uring the oesophagus. But
fertile IN expedents, they suggested a new
plan; which was 10 suffer The reptile to como
out as lar as possible, then with sharp in.
strurnent 10 seYer the head, and 10 extract
the body bJ an incision into the stomach,
In about an hour, il again appeared: The
Patient all The while being insensibIe from
The effects OF opium, aided, perhaps, by ibs
electric shocks OF the reptile. II proifdded
abouttwo feet, and with sharp Ratchet, pra-
pared Tor ths purpose, i! @as suddenly divid-
cd about eighteen inches below the head.
The lower part suddenly disappeared within
the stomach, exhibiting violent motion for
about two minutes An incision was then