Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-03-16

the shoulder blades, the thumb Of IN,
left hand, and had csdavrrous pale ness
and he ~as subject, nightly. To profus,
coil,qua,ive swests. But while losin!
lesh under a voracious appetite. al
the functions were performed with re
gulaIity. hls pul.e was regular. his sleeI
sound, and his complexion Mas Of I
healthy hue. incl,ning 10 be ford. Ia
the mean tame. the abdomen incre . sed
greatly in size. aud . motion like thai
Of . cat IN . bag. was apparent To the
hand when laid upon the region Of the
stomach. But he was at all times sub.
lject to fainting fits Of . peculiar Kind
Sometimes he dropped down suddenly
without sense or motion. At otheI
times he nearly fell. but recovered in.-
mediately, though always with pros,ra.
ton Of strength for some hours after.
wards. The sensation. as he described
u. was that Of = violent blow within the
stomach, and very much like that pro-
duced by an electric shock. except be-
ing more local.
Such extraordinary symptoms demo
ted some extraordinary cause OF dis
turbance. He had been for ten years
under the care OF his family ply sic,an.
and had been subjected TO various
modes Of treatment. without any
abatement Of these symptoms. He had
taken most active emetics. and the
most drastic ca,hartics. without any
good effect. When arterial action " as
high, he was hled copiously. sometimes
losing sixteen ounces daily for three
days excessively. When il was low.
the most powerful stimulants were ad.
ministered; opium. ether. brandy, bark,
being sometimes administered, each IN
sufficient Quantities TO kill q man of
! ordinary health aud strength. All the
While he insisted that some living ami
NAL was in his stomach. and related
the incident al the spring. and his sub.
seqnent sensations. His physician was
incredulous. saying that he had re ad
such things. but did not consider any
case we'll authenticated, or believe that
any animal could resist the solvent
power of the gastric fluids in the human
stomach. The patient, finding every
unpleasant symptom increasing, resolv-
ed TO seek additional aid, and a con-
sultation "as ordered. Five of our
most eminent ply Sicians attended, and
alter a minute examination, came to
the conclusion that the conjecture OF
the patient was probable; Tor though
neither ot item had never Witnessed a
case Of a living animal in the human
stomach. yet several cases we're record
ed which they considered authentic.
They also said that comparative ansto-
my furnished analogies: Tor living frogs.
toads and fishes, had been found in the
stomscbs OF snakes. many hours after
they had been swallowed, and that this
proved the power OF the vital principle
IN resisting. to some extent. the SOL
vent power OF the gastric fluids.
Having assumed this hypothesis as
probable. they next proceeded TO act
upon 1t. They rejected al; medicines,
very properly concluding that if the
vital principle could resist the solvent
power OF the stomach, it would resis,
the action Of The substances which the
stomach Was able to bear: and con-
GLIDING also that as powerful medicines
had already failed. At was not philoso-
phical to repeat them.
They ordered entire abstinence from
all food; and accordingly the patient
took none for Eve days. During this
period. the pain in the stomach was
excruciating and the motion violen re-
sembling that Of 4 spiral revolution OF
a rope upon q cylinder. The pain be-
coming too intense TO bear. for the pa
t'ent ~as IN ravinX delirium. the ply
sicians suggested tina, opium might act
upon the nerves OF the stomach. with
out affecting the animal. lift were one.
and that IN search offood. it might force
ats way through the e,ophagus. This
was tried and with success-ihe patient
being thrown into . disturbed sleep.
while the motion IN the stomach increas-
ed in violence. He was then held in
reeumbent position. with the face down
ward. snd the body inclined to an an
gle of IS degrees. the head being the
lowest.
In about ten minutes the cause Of
the difficulty was manifest. A SNAKE.
Of dark brown color. and large size.
pro,ruded full eight inches from the
mouth. with it, eyes bright and glazing,
with every manifestation ofrage. One
OF the physicians Immediately seized
II BY the neck, with the intention Of
drawing u out. but suddenly fell fat
upon the floor. without sense or motion.
as Il struck by ligh,nIngl Like the
eonger eel, the torpedo and severn:
other species Of marine animals, the
reptile was ELEcrRic. and thu. were
the fainting FITS Of the patient explain
ed
But . measure was soon devised To
meet this new difficulty. One Of the
physicians covered the handles Of a
large paIr Of forcPp, with six, and stood
ready 10 seize the snake. .hould >, again
appeal This soon happened. and u
was seized and drawn out about two
feet, struggling most violently, and
emitting tremenJou, shocks Of eleciri.
c,iy. TWo ofihe attending physicilns.
who accidentally touched it N the