The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-09-04

Three Hundred Needles Found in a
Woman's .Body.

l
tic Asylum at Utica, we find de
scription Of the follow wing remarkabl,
case:
| A woman, thirty years Of ago, sin
gle, seamstress, with no herciitar,
tendency to insanity, but was Of d
highly nervous and excitable organi
zation, emotional and irregular il
feeling at times buoyant and lively
aud then. gloomy and depressed
Her health during early life was deli
cate, though she suffered from NJ
definite form Disease.
Her mother says that for years she
has complained Of pain, and pressed
her hand on either side of her head.
with the exclamation, "Qh mother,
mother, shall die !" That for six
years she has complained of such
soreness of the head that when she
passed her hand over it, in smooth.
ing her daughters hair, she would
lcry out: "Oh, mother. don't II hurts
me so !" That was five years ago,
in 1867, she was, obliged to call in
help, a. the patient threatened and
intended to take her own life.
A few weeks before she was sent
to the asylum she passed into an
acutely maniacal condition, in which
she was sleepless, ate little and irreg
ularly, lost flesh and strength rapidly,
and became quite feeble. She was
destructive of clothing, pulled her
hair out, was noisy, incoherent and
violent opposed care wandered
about, and was with difficulty con-
trolled.
On the 18th Of August, the patient,
in rubbing her hand over her breast,
discovered an elevated point, Just
under the skin, which, on pressure,
gave a pricking sensation. This was
cut down upon, and broken needle
extracted. On the 18th another
needle was removed. The breast
was now infamed, and extremely,
sensitive. August 2Sth another nee
die was taken out.
From this time till September
10th, from one to five needles were
removed daily from the breast.
For the first few months compara-
lively little pain was felt III the ex-
traction OF the needles Afterwards
she suffered acutely, and often beg
ged with tears that their removed
might be postponed from day to day
She lost appetite and sloep, became
much depressed, AMI gave up all
hope ofrecovery Her tongue be.
came dry and brown, pulse rapid
She soon became unconscious and
finally c)matose, and died on the
25th OF December, 1871.
No needles we o removed durinS
the last two weeks 2S6 were taken
from her body during life II we're
found in the tissues after death !.
they were passed from tho rectum
during sickness making total of
$40 needles aud pieces. OF this
number 246 were whole and "a were
parts of needles, One was a No. l
sewing machine needle, and several
were bent. They varied in size from
No. 4 to No. IL,
As regards po o'ition In body, they
were distributed about as follows
In right breast, $50; in left brest.
20; abdomen. 90, genitals, 90 thigh
and legs, so; back, 20.-Of those re-
moved after death, 8 were found in
the right and in tho left breast :;
one in small abscess In the epiga.
stric, aud one in the right lilac region
the point impinging upon the peri-
toneum, which was discolorei with
rust and one in tho unpsr part of
the lower lobe of the left lung. The
presence and position of the needles
were Indicated to the patient by the
pric' G sensation oocasioned by
muscular movements.
They were removed in a few instan-
ces at first by citing down upon
them. This proved to be painful.
and from the movements OF the nee-
dies In the tissues, difficnlt process,
Hemorrage from the small vessels at
times gave some trouble. Afterward,
by manipulation, the ends of the nee
dies were engaged between the
thumb and forefnger. and points.
forced through the skin. were seizei
and the needles extrnrtsd with for.
ceps. Sometimes much force was
required to withdraw them. Thev
changed position qnite readily, and
frequently moved from one to two
inches in tho dav. They produced
little local irritation or trouble bevond
the p licking sensation, AMI did not
seem to have contributed in any no
table degree toward producing the
fatal result.
In regard to the presence of this
large number of needles in system
no information could be obtained.
The patient repeatedly and persis-
teutlv denied any knowledge Of hav.
ing introduced them. either by the
stomach or through the akin. Her
mother who visited the asvlum. could
throw no light upon the subject. and
was entirely ignorant of the fact un-
til informed bv MS. She however,
recalled the circumstances that the
patient purchased at ono time ten
papsrs Of needles. and could account
for only two Of them. They were
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