Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-02-28
IErorn the Rochesier Union |
tfrom the hochcser Union
EXTRAORDINARY CAsE OF NEEDLE NJ

EXTRAORDINARY CASH OF NEEDLE MA
MA.
Three Hundred and Eighty. Three Needles
Extracted fr"m the Flesh Of Lady and
She Still Smriues
The subject was young lady, nineteen
years OF age, Of nervous temperament, very
healthy, and the daughter OF u respectable
Farmer in Butteinuts. Otsego county u. Y.
She first came to my Office April 2Stb, 1853,
to have a needle extracted from her left arm,
which she said "got ig accidentally as she Mas
moving bundle OF carpet rags" This.
medium sized sewing needle, was soon found
and extracted from the anterior side Of the
fore arm, about Midway between the wrist
and elbow. IN less than "a week she called
again, saying she had another needle in her
arm. ) examined and found Geep in the bend
Of the arm, u hard substance, which proved
TO be needle similar to tue 6rst, and ac-
counted for in a similar manner. One week
after this the arm was very much swollen
painful and presented the appearance Of ma.
liguant eryslpeleas, which continued about
six days.
After the inflammation and swelling had
subslded, six needles were found deep IN the
flesh, about three inches from the elbow.
May 10th. fourteen were taken out, higher
aud more on the posteri"r side oi the "rul
! 30th, seventeen were taken from the arm and
shoulders. Some of these were superficial,
lying just under the skin, but most OF them
| lay deep in the flesh, and number entirely
under the biceps muscle. One. of large size,
lay with two-thrds is length imbedded in the
brachial artery. One large darning.needle
was found lying directly on the bone, ut the
| nSecton Of the deltod muscle this caused
| some Inflammation and suppuration, which
| led to its detection. June 4th, twelve were
| removed from the left arm, two from the
wrist, eleven from the left, and one from the
! right breast. The whole number extracted
during the month Of June, WAS eighty.seven
September, ten; October, twenty-elgh ht most.
ly from the left breast aud left side Of the alb
domen.
About the last Of November, 1853. she
was attacked with violent spasms. These
continued about three weeks and subsequent.
ly Il large number Of needles were found in all
parts of her left side. from the shoulder to
the knee. When apparently asleep she
would converse with her mother, aud tell
where the needles might bs found, but when
awake she could seldom be induced TO speak
Of them. Also when in this sleeping or som
nambulic state, she was entirely unconscious
of pain. While cutting through doep muscle
perceive a motion indicative of feeling, {.
number were extracted in this sleeping state,
on the contrary, when awake, she experen
ced acute pain. even from the very least Incl
! sion.
From January 1854, no needles were foun,
until the middle of the following Summer
when she resorted to pins, cutting oil tn
heads and thrusting them into the flesh
Subsequently she used hair pins, eithe
strag ghtenrd and put in whole or the broker
halves. They we've found deep in the larg
muscles OF the thigh. Several pieces Of wire
and parts of the largest size of knitting nee
dies, nearly five inches in length, found lynn
directly on the bone Of the thigh Oh the al
terror side.
These were put in two or three inches abov
the knee. push he'd upward under he flesh. an
detected by the discharge of II little matte
, at the point of insertion. a few needles an
pins were found at intervals till Decembe
18th, 1885, when ] extracted six needles an
three pins--hll Of which ha2 lain in the 1eS
long time some Of them more than Yea
These were the last found, and il is hoped h
all her friends that there will be DO rrcul
} renee OF So strong IL mania.
} The whole numherexlTacted was of SEWN
, needles. 29lTand iheSs ~rr" Hf nll ;I.. siz.s5
, -. '.Hrules dOu wiz. ,..> I. 6--Iu.al. IS,
1 Great Efforts were made on the part of tn
D family To detect her in the act OF insrrtIn
D the needles, but in vain. 1t was ascertaIuc
4 by com1arisun that most Of them were take
from II 'px Vi needles which had lain in ia
4 house Tor II long time. This was removed
> but she contrived TO use the same kind ev
l IDENTIFY rom supply secrried about the prem
6 ises. Almost every means has beer resorte
= to. to md the reason for SO strange fancy
% but nthing has yet developed il. She
IS firm inner denial OF knowing vixen. how. G
- why se did it; simply saying 't must h
y that 10 II, for | know no one else does. -
She is'erfectly sane on every Other suffice
u. althouh the effect upon her general hralt
~ has b'n bad. yet during Il great share ,
~ these ,aIs Of suffering she has perfnrme
~ her aclstomed portion Of the household dr
ties.
rs Albugh those needles have been exhlb
20 ted tohe professors oi several m, dical co
90 lrgesEith full details of the case, as well a
80 TO lge number Of physicians in this Stat,
- yet uiitable name has hardly been given fu
n, a disse producing such effects. And whe
~ SO my doctors disagree" shall go no ral
70 ther han to term it Il remarkable case ,
90 monounit. The whole case has been on
50 ~ Hnasi '"'a-~!t, anxiety a~i mystery th-
40 often +rfes under tho notice of ,l,, nh\.
so elan. CHARLEs SusNEE NJ Ii
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