The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-24


Extraordinary Case of Nee die Mania =
Three Hunared and EiehtyThree Nee
die: Extracted from the Flesh of Lady,
and She still survives.
Dr. Sumner publishes in the Rochester IN "
Union the following account CT singular case Of
monomania on the par. of a young lady:
The subject was nineteen years of age, of ner-
vous temperament, very healthy, and the daugh.
ter of a respectable farmer in Butternufs. Otsego
county. N. 7. She first came to my Office April
% b. 1853, to have needle extracted from her
left arm, which she said got in accidentally As
she was removing bundle of carpet rags" Th,,
medium sized sewing needle, was soon found and
extracted from the anterior side of the forearm
about midway between the wrist and the elbow
la less than a week she called again saving she
had another needle in her arm. l examined and
fund deep in the bend of the arm hard substance
which proved to be needle. similar to the first,
and accounted for in similar manner. One week
after this the arm was very much swollen pain-
ful, and presented the appearance of malignant
eryspeias, which continued about six days.
After the inflammation and swelling had su5si-
ded, six needles were found, deep in the fiesb
about three inches froun the elbow. May Goth
fourteen " ere taken out, higher and more on the
posterior side of the arm. 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 10 the flesh, and a number
entirely under the biceps muscle One of large
size, lay with two thirds It's length imbedded in
the brapchal artery One large edarningsueedle was
found lying directly the bone, at the intersec-
tiou of the deltoid muscle; this caused some in
hammaton and suppuration, which led to its de-
lection. June 4th, twelve were removed from
the left arm, two f;om the wrist eleven from the
left and one from the tight breast. The whole
number extracted during the month Of June was
eighty sever September. ten October. twenty,
eight; mostly from the left breast and left side of
the abdomen
About the last of November, 1853, she was at
tackled with violent spasms These continued
about three weeks, and subsequently, a large NUN
ber of needles were found in all parts # her left
side, from the shoulder to the knee. When appa
realty asleep she would converse with her mother
and tell where the needles ght be found but
when awake she could seldom be induced to speak
of them. Also when in this sleeping somnam~
bulic state she was entirely unconscious of pain
While cutting through deep muscle or in the most
sensitive parts. we never could perceive a motion
indicative of feeling, e number were extracted in
this sleeping state; on the contrary. when awake
she experienced acute pain, even from the least
inssior.
The whole number extracted was, Of sewing
needles, POT, and these were of all sizes pins
67; darning needless ?; hair pins, s. knitting nee
dies and wire, each total 1893. Great efforts
were made on the part of the family 10 detect her
in the act of inserting the needles, but 10 vain i:
was ascertaDed by comparison that most of them
were taken from box of needles which had lain
in the house for a long time. This was removed
but she contrived to use the same kind, evidently
from supply secreted about the premises. Almost
every means has been resorted to to fud the
reason for SO strange fancy, but nothing has yet
developed it. She is firm in her denial of know ing
when, how, or why she did it; simply saying "it
must be that do it, for know no oDe does" She
is perfectly sane on every other subject athoug gh
the etfec tupon her general health has been bad
yet during great share of these years of suffer-
ing she has performed her accustomed portion of
household duties.
Although these needles have been exhibited to
the professors OF several medical colleges with full
details of the case, as we'll to a large number of
physicians in this State, yet suitable name has
hardly been given tor disease producing such
effects. And when SO many doctors disagree"
shall go further than to term il a case Of mono-
mania. The whole case has been one Of greater
interest anxiety and mystery than often comes
under the notice OF the PHI ysician.