Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-04-08
.sLEXIS ST. .u.sRTI.v.

On page "a, of volume 3, of Ripley & Da-
mas new American Encyclopedia, under
the biographical notice of DR.. VIM. Beau
mont, who died in st. Louis, April 25 1853,
Alexis st. Martin is incidentally alluded to
as the subject upon whom DIR. Beaumont,
in 1925, made series of interesting scien-
tific experiments regarding the laws of di-
gestion in the human stomach.
Learning that st. Martin was residing in
Duttonsville, in Cavendish, with a medical
friend we rode down to see him. We found
| him in one of tenement houses of Mr.. Whip
| pie, the present proprietor of the Fullerton
factory. His family are operatives in the
factory, and the old man is still able to la
Dor part of the time But the day we
visited him he was feeling as he said, bad
| ", being troubled for BREATH He enter
tanned us very civily, answering our in
quiries without hesitation, in an intelligent
manner.
While the Rutland & Burlington railroad
was in process of construction, in 1871 and
1913, it was our fortune to be present when
DR.. ]. NJ. Harlow and DR.. Edward II. VIII
liams dressed the wound of Mr.. Gage after
the iron bar, feet inches in length and It
inches in diameter, had been driven upward
its entire length through Cages head and
brains. We took care of and watched for
many sleepless nights by the bedside of
Mr. Gage, until he finally recovered; and
as we looked upon st. Martin and thought
upon Gage, we could but compare the two
cases, the most remarkable on record, with
many others where the slightest accidents
often prove fatal.
But to return to st. Martin. In answer
to inquiries, he informed us that he was now
81 years old that when II years old he was
at Michilimackinac, Michigan, and while
conyersing with some one in the office,
bystander took up musket which was in
one corner of the room, and in carelessness
discharged the piece, the shot entered his
back below the left shoulder. and came out
below the heart on his left side, producing
a sensation like that of sudden severe
blow. His first impulse was to turn and
deal blow at the head of his supposed as
sailant, but Immediately found his strength
gone, and he sank to the floor, attendants
placed him upon lounge near by, when
DIR. Beaumont, the U. S. Surgeon at the
station, was called, who dressed his wounds
| and for long time watched over and cared
| for him as father would have done.
He said DIR. b. cut off a piece of his liver
which was mangled by the shot, and re-
moved portions of his stomach in the re-
| gion of his heart; that after very long
time he was able to sit up-walk about, and
finally was able to work that he has had
| sol Ell l,tI1 hot NJ
one time he travelled with the doctor, who
exhibited him to the public, and tried vari-
Gus experiments upon him, though he new
er received much money from his exhibit
tons, and is now poor.
Our friend asked him if he had any OBJ
lection to showing his wound he was not
quite willing, and yet unbuttoned his vest
and removing cloth exposed his left breast
and side, CHASTITY view, with fleshy protu-
berance larger than hens egg projecting
from his stomach in the frightful hollow in
his side. AS he did so, and breathed, the
air passed in and out at the cavity with the
gurging sound of escaping wind. St Mar
tin is small, sallow-looking and evidently a
Frenchman, speaking English but has
passed, as be says, most Of his life in Cana
da, and among his people. AT times il has
distressed him very much TO breathe-and
who wonders-often in the night he is
obliged 10 arise from his bed, and i'm an up
right position of the body seek that relic
which horizontal one fails to afford And
yet this strange fortuned man. from his
statements and appearance must have per
formed a great deal of labor in the fifty
years of his mutilated life,
We do not speak of him in a medical OF
scientific point of view, but leave that t.
the treatment of our attendant at the time
Mr.. Gage, before spoken of, lived some II
or II years after his recovery, and travelled
over the country considerably. We think
he went to South America and was able t.
do some business, but was always more ir
ritable and quick tempered, so to speak
and of weaker mind than before the acct
dent. We met him but a few times, ant
, then he always boosted of the exploit anC
said he should carry his tapping iron will
: him as long as he lived" Besmeared will