Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-05-23
From the Hartford Times.l
4 Peep into a live Mans Stem

The case of Alexis St. Martin is one
with which the public, and especially
shose who have given particular attention
o. the subject Of physiology III connection
with medical science, are already some
what familiar. It is indeed the most ex-
rraordinary and, perhaps, We might say,
the most extraordinary and singular one
known to the annals of surgery. St.
Martin il a Canadian Of French descent.
In the year 1875, when he was eighteen
veafs zold, ard while employed IN the
sMvice Of the American Fur Company, in
Canada, he was accidentally wounded by
the discharge of masket, Ioaded with
ducksbnt, as be calls it, but which we
must infer were about the size Of bucks
shot. FEe informed US that he did not feel
ur know tiTat hs had been hii, but a mo-
ment afterwards he felt cold chill, as If
paiIof cold water had beer dashed over
him, The charge, ,entering'laterally from
behind, passed quite through his body,
tearing of the muscles, carrying away
half Of thessixth rib, lacerasing the left
lobe Of the lungs, as we'll as the diaN
phragm, perforating the stomach and exe
posing TO view the perieardium or cover
lng of the heart. A portion Of the lung,
as large as a turkeys egg, lacerated and
burnt, and just below this portion Of the
stomach, protruded from the wound, the
food at the saine time passing from the
ori6ce thus made in the stomach. This
ori6ce has never healed, and through it the
process Of digestion can plainly be seen
in the stomach. DR.. Beaumont, the
surgeon who attended him, published
some years ago volume made up of
facts connected with this case, and entitled
Or. Beaumont's Physiology and Experts
nents.' This work embraced the observa-
tons and experiments of ST. Martin, and
may he said TO be foundation of nearly all
che positive knowledge now possessed on
she auhieeG ofdigestion. Inthis book DIR.
B. gives the particulars Of the treatment
of the ease aud the singular recovery of
the patient. Cnriously and happily
enough by the adhesion 10 the sides Of the
proiruded portions Of the external wound,
a free exit was afforded TO the contents of
that organ, and efFusion into the abdomin-
al cavity was thas prevented, and the
mans life saved. Probably not one man
in million, if wounded in similar mans
neF, weuld recover at all, while the
chances against just such direction and
results of another accidental or even In
tentional shot would be so enormous as to
defy computation, and almost to surpass
belief The case Of st. Martin is pr0ba-
bly,. the first, the last, and the only one of
the kind the world win ever see; and the
opportunities which il affords for the ac-
quisitionO positive knowledge concern
ing the human stomach and digestive
functions are of corresponding interest
and value. Think of the idea of actually
witnessing the process Of digestion and
the assimilation of various foods III the
interior Of the stomach !!
This interesting subject for study was
in Hartford on Saturday and Sunday last,
and we had the opportunity of seeing him.
He il under the care of DR.. John G.
Bunting, formerly a surgeon in the Brit
ish army and who proposes to exhibit
this living wonder 10 the n1edicae men of
our large cities previous to q journey with
him to Europe. While here ST. Martin
and the doctor werethe guests Of Col.
Colt, at whose invitation they were ins
duced to stop while on their way to Bos~
ton. for the purpose of allowing TO the
Hartford Medical Society an opportunity
Ofnoting the processes and the effects of
digestion, theabsorpiioh Of different kinds
Of food, De. a