Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-04-01
LIVING ANIMALS IN BROOK-WA-
TER,
BY A NEw-YoRK PHYSICIAN.

the afflicted family, together with our
wayside conversation on the causes of
typhus and typhoid fevers. He laid
great stress upon the careless practice
among farmers of using brook-water as
beverage, while at work in the fields,
and gave in detail the history of cases
where persons had thus unconsciously
swallowed minnie reptiles or fish,
which afterward grew in the stomach
to he large snakes or fish and caused a
great deal of suffering.
In reply to my inquiry, he stated
that no such case had come under his
personal observation, but lie had fire.
quently read such accounts in the pa
pers, and he did not doubt their truth.
''Why, husband" interrupted the
pastors wife, "You must remember
the case of Lawyer D, of R,
who swallowed a hair-snake when a
boy, which, about twenty years after,
had become so large that he could feel
it coiling around his body and up over
his shoulders, until at times it would
nearly sufocate him ?" ts
Deacon G stated that he had
heard persons say they had heard per-
sons say they had actually felt the coil
of the snake as it moved around under
the skin. The squire had often said
that he could define the head of the
snake under the skin of the breast, and
often heard rattle in his bowels ex-
actly like that of rattlesnake; and
when he heard the rattle the snake
would bite him SO severely as to make
him spit blood He concluded some
what lengthy statement of his views as
to the best method of enticing, driving
or starving out these reptiles, by ask
ing my opinion of the propriety of
boldly cutting open the stomach and
at once removing the intruder.
81 must confess at the outset" I re-
piled, that am entirely incredulous
as to the possibility of these cases of
living snakes and other reptiles in the
human stomach. In the first place,
the stomach is not simple sac, with
out vital activity, but it is more like a
mill, which Immediately reduces to a
pulp every substance entering it which
is susceptible of solution. This first
act of digestion it accomplishes by
means of most powerful solvents,
which no living snake or fish could for
moment resist. In the second place,
very many cases have been carefully
examined, and all the symptoms have
been found due to other causes. [ my
self was consulted in the very case
which you mention, and found o ready
: explanation of all the singular pheno-
mena which Lawyer D exhibited
without referring them to a snake. He
: He was a victim to delirium tremens a
disease in which the patient Away fam
cies he sees and feels snakes and other
hideous reptiles. The Authorizations
of these attacks had followed him, and
so haunted his rational periods that he
came to believe implicitly in the exist.
ence of an immense snake cooled under
the skin. He could point out the ex-
tact direction of the coils, define its
head, and locate it's tail. [ inquired il
at that time he felt the snake moving,
and he replied that he did not; but as
it had been very active of late, owing,
he believed, to his own loss of appetite
and the consequent hunger of the snake
it would doubtless soon make some ex.
hibition, especially if he himself could
lie down in q quiet place. For he
added, it is only when am quiet, as
in bed, or when sitting alone, that il
$ moves. Its head is so near the surface
that it seems to hear every sound, and
} the slightest noise in the room or street
, will make it cease all movements
: Accordingly, requested him to lie
down upon the sofa in quiet room
. and inform me when he felt the frs
! distinct movements of his old enemy
! Sitting at some distance, where l could
, observe him unnoticed, l was not sur
prised to find that the snake move
3 ments were inaugurated with a seize
of nervous phenomena quite peculiar
t First, there was whitening of the
, body, then convulsive action OF the ia
: cial muscles, and, finally, a spasm o
d the fingers. Now, said he. in sub
+ dued and tremulous whisper, put you
!, hand cautiously on my bowels, ant
!. you will feel the coils move, and oil
e my breast you can feel its head
, 81 approached him cautiously, so a
d not to disturb nor interrupt the spell
+ that was upon him, and gently place.
e my hand ON the abdomen. There sur
. enough, were movements which sur
: prised me, but which could very readi
+ " be explained. There was wave
S like movement from side to side, thai
under the hand felt not unlike the coil