The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-23

I
citv NJ sscnsotions'-one of the chief 'sensa.
tons of to-day relates to the man who swal'
lowed fork. We are happy TO be able to lay
before ourreadcrs the following comnunca
| tion on tbe subject, from one OF the most dis
tinguishrd physicians of France, DR.. Julius
Se,5nin the brother Of Edward Seguin, of this
city: on. ,;,.n ,o-,
| lie is a clerk in the dry goods store LIE
pr,utemps Since this accident happened,
the Partisan papers quote all the analogous
case, they find in old records more to excite
curiosity than to help the poor fellow by al
Good suggestion. After fifteen days of eXpe-
T,ments made in view of relieving him, with
out success, by eminent surgeons, he left the
! bospi.al de la Plete, and resumed his position
| in the store, where | see him again.
lie is nineteen years old, well built, heal
thy and intelligent; shows no trace of suffer.
ing, but some of a pre-occupation OF his mind
though he knows by the examples quoted
that he runs very little risk. The fork,
whose presence IN the stomach has been as
certaincd beyond doubt, does not cause him
any pain, except when he bends his body side
way, or when his stomach is empty. The lat
ter feeling obliges him to eat ottener than he
would only for the satisfaction of true appe.
tite
TO understand how this accident happened,
and moreover to warn the lmprudentl VINO
expose themselves to n similar mishap, 1t Is
GOOD TO know how this takes place. When
food or body is introduced INTO the mouth,
il remains there under the control oft Will;
Int if il is allowed TO go even partly further,
it. or part of it, is seized between the muscu-
lar fbres which form the middle coat OF
the digestive canal, upon which the Will has
no action, and down it goes, carried by the
peristaltic naturaD movement OF these mus
cles unless it is stopped by It's bulk, weight
or form. Children, in particular, must be
made, as early as possible, aware of this dan
ger, of which the details are quite unknown.
Things thus Involuntary swallowed may be-
come dangerous by their substance, whose
chemical decomposition may produce pol'
sons; by their bulk, which can obstruct the
alimcntary canal; by their CONFEDERATION,
whose aspcrtles may hurt by Its length which
cannot follow nor strengthen the fleXuoslues
of the organs Of digestion
The chemical alteration of tork-as IN
the present instance--may, according TO its
composition, produce oxides, sulphurcts, salts
of copper, of nickel, of zinc, of arsenic,
whose danger is lessened by constant elimln-
alton, but greater If anthony is present in
the compound, and greatest if lead. There
fore, It is necessary, in case of that sort, to
have analyzed an object similar to the one
swallowed, and to watch for the advent OF
the possible signs OF absorption. Another
danger, consequent to chemical decompoSi,
ton Of such a body may be an alienation OF
its shape, by which cutting or pointed sur
faces may be formed, capable OF forcing thclr
way out through the tissues.
In the present case, the fork IS not OF
bulk sufficient to obltcrate the ways. The
handle, first introduced. has slipped along
the grand carve of the stomach, and is d.
rected toward the pylorc. Thus, so far, the
fork lies at the bottom OF the stomach. II 1t
enters the intestlnes, their pcristaluc move
ment will carry it along; but their curves are
so numerous and short that it is difficult to
imagine how they could be travelled through
by an inhexibe, straight, body, seven inches
! long. On this account such movement does
not seem desirable.
| On the other hand, the digcstions are good
| BY some infammatory process, the stomach
may eventually adhere 10 the wall OF the alb
domcn, and, with or without absCcss, permit
an opening to be effected. BY means OF caus-
| tic applications, the surgeon can initiate ma
ture in this particular with this advantage,
that he could select the anterior region, Tar
| from the essential organs.
| In the hospital the extraction by the mouth
has been vamly attempted. To render 1t sue
cesstul It would be necessary TO cOntrivc an
instrument which could raise up the fork and
protect the parts at the passage OF its prOngS.
Something of the sort was successfully APP
piled thirty years ago by Leroy d 'EtioIlcs for
the extraction of a fragment of bougle. This
precedent is encouraging, but does not war
rant success, the object and the parts otter-
ing little analogy.
Lastly, to go behind the most delicate or
CANS, TO uncover the Gsophagus, 10 cutit open
(;esophagotomy), and through the greatest
perils find only the narrow opening OF the
cardia through which the fork, if held across
will not pass, would be a rash undertaking
In my estimation the greatest obstacle to Il
success is the length OF the fork. | consider
il a certainty that if an instrument could be
CONSTRUCTED capable of SEEING and saving
the fork, without too much of fatigue to the
patient, or lesion TO his stomach, there would
be reasonable chances for the pieces to make
their way downward
|, was wise advice to persuade the young
| man To leave off all trials Of that sort Tor the
present: TO go To work, and To let the surgeons
Think over his case, and possibly find The
/ means of relieving him from his fork and hi,
+ anxiety.
Therefore let Us think of It,
IULIUs SEGUiN, VI. y.
4 FROM THE SHADOW OF THE GUnlOTINE.-