The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-06-05
The Man Who Swallowed a Fork.

/ that city of sensations One OF the chief
=" sensations" Of to-day relates to the
man who swallowed a fork" We are
happy 10 be- able To lay before our readers,
says the New York EVeniHg Post, the fol-
lowing communication on the subject. from
one OF the most distinguished physicians
OF France. DIR. Julius Seguin. the brother
Of DIR. Edward Seguin, OF this city. DIR.
Seguin writes
He Is clerk In the dry-goods store lie
PSlntenps. Since this accident happened,
the Partisan papers quote all the analogous
cases they find In old records, more TO ex-
cite curiosity than To help the poor fellow
by good suggestion. After fifteen days
of experiments made in view of relieving
him, without success. by eminent sur
geons, he left the Hospital de la Piete. and
resumed his position In the store, where |
see him again.
He is nineteen years old, well built,
healthy and intelligent shows no trace of
suffering. but some Of preoccupation Of
the mind: though he knows by the exam
plies quoted that he runs very little risk
The fork. whose presence in the stomach
has been asceriained beyond doubt, does
not cause him any pain, except when he
bends his body sideway, or when his
stomach is empty. The latter feeling
obliges him to eat oftencr than he would
only for the satisfaction of true hunger.
Te understand how this accident hap
pened, and moreover. 10 warn the impru-
dents who expose themselves To a similar
mishap. il j. good 10 know how this takes
place. When food or body is introduced
into the mouth. il remains there under the
control OF the will; but. il il is allowed 10
go even partly further. il, or part of il.
j. seized between the muscular fibers
which form the middle coat OF the diges-
tive canal, upon which the will has no
action. and down il goes. carried by the
peri>taltic (natural) movement of these
muscles, unless il j. stopped bv its bulk,
weight or form. Children. in particular.
must be made. as early rs possible. aware
OF this danger, OF which the details are
quite unknown. Things thus involunta-
rily swallowed may Become dangerous
by their substance. whose chemical decom-
position may produce poisons; by their
bulk. which can obstruct the alimentary
canal; by their configuration, whose
asperities may hurt by its length which
cannot follow nor -traighten the fleXousi-
ties of the organs of digestion.
The chemical alteration of fork-as in
the present instance-nay. according TO
it, composition, produce oxides. sui
of arsenic. whose danger j. lessened by
constant elimination, but greater if anti
mony j. present i'm the compound, and
greatest if lead. Therefore, il j. neces-
sary. in a case of that sort, 10 have ana
lived an object similar To the one swal-
lowed. and TO watch for the advent of the
possible signs OF absorption. Another
danger. consequent 10 chemical decompO-
-itiOn of such body, may be AN altera-
ton of it, shape. by which cutting or
pointed surfaces may be- formed. capable
OF forcing their way out through the
tissues.
In the present case. the fork is not of a
bulk sufficient 10 Obliterate the ways. The
handle, first introduced. has slipped along
the grand curve OF the stomach. and i
directed towards the pylOre. Thus. 80
far. the fork lies al the bottom of the
stomach. If itcnters tine intestines. their
peristaltic movement will carry il along
but their curves are 80 numerous and
short that il is difficult To imagine how
they could be- travelled through by an in
flexible. straight body. seven inches long.
On this account such movement does not
seem desirable.
On the other hand. the digestiOns are
good. BY some inflammatory process. the
stomach may eventually adhere To the wall
of the abdomen, and. with or without alb
scess. permit an opening 10 be effected.
BY means of caustic applications, the sur
geon can initiate nature in this particular
with this advantage, that he could select
the anterior region, far from the essential
organs.
In the hospital. the extraction by the
mouth has been vainly attempted. To
render il successful il would be necessary
10 contriye am instrument which could
raise up the fork and protect the parts AT
the passage of its prOngS. Something OF
the sort was successfully applied thirty
years ago by Leroy d'Etiolles for the ex-
traction of fragment of bougie. This
precedent is encouraging, but does not
warrant a success. the object and the parts
offering little analogy.
Lastly. To go behind the most delicate
organs. to uncover the 9sophagus. To cut
il open (asophagotomy). and through the
greatest perils lind only the narrow OPEN
ing OF the car,lia, through which the FORK.
II held across. will not pass. would be a
rash undertaking.
In my estimation the greatest obstacle 10
n success i the length OF the fork. | con-
slider it certainty that ii an INSTRUMENT
could be constructed capable of Selling
and saving the fork. without too much OF
fatigue TO the patient, or lesion to his
stomach. there would be reasonable chan
ces for the pieces to make their way down
ward.
Ii was wise advice To persuade tho
young man to lesve Off all trials Of that
sort for the present; TO go 10 work. and
7 To let the surgeons think over his ease.
and possibly find the means Of relieving
n A Il.