Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-09-28
A Man with q Snake In His. Stomach.

The Suspension Bridge IN. W
Journal says: Lieut.. Robert Crawford
is a native of Hamilton, Ont, and is
about 40 years of age. He has been
stopping of late at Clark's Hotel, in
Clinton, hoping to receive some benefit
from the pure air of Niagara, and it was
there we saw him and heard his story.
He is a thin, spare man, and has been
reduced almost to a skeleton, he AYERS,
by the presence OF his horrible COM
panion. p
For fourteen years of his life Lieut..
Crawford was a resident of the Island
of Cuba, and belon ged to the Cuban
army, in which he ose from the ranks
to a ~Lieutenancy, which position he was
compelled to resign on account of his
falling health. About two and a half
years since, he says, he first became
aware of the presence of the serpent in
his stomach, the symptoms being a sick
ness and crawling sensation in hat Or
gan Then it vas he remembered that
about six months previous he had knelt
down and drank from a spring in the
vicinity of which he noticed peculiar
poisonous reptiles, some of which were
ten inches long and as thick as a mans
wrist, while others were very minute.
His subsequent. experience leaves no
doubt in his mind that he at that time
drank in a small specimen of these hor-
rid creatures.
In due time. the sensation in his
stomach continuing, he consulted the
best medical advice in Cuba, and not
getting relief, came to the States. Here
An oot alrsaa o-l took =. 49,
prescription and another enough poison
to kill a dozen men, but without effect
ing the death of this reptile or ejecting
it. Indeed, the snake seemed rather to
thrive on the medicine, poison being
his best hold! About this time he heard
of the eminent Italian physician, DIR.
Gonzales, of Paris, and in full faith that
he would be cured by him, Lieut.. Craw-
ford sailed for France, where he arrived
in due time. DR.. Gonzales made an ex-
animation, and for the sum of $500
agreed to operate on the patient by in
cision in the back, and then remove the
cause of this living death. Crawford
assured him that he wished the opera
ton performed, even at the risk of his
life, as death itself was preferable to
the terrible pains and horrible sensa-
tons he was continually undergoing.
The arrangements having been made,
Crawford was strapped to the table, the
surgeons and his assistants were all
ready, the knife was lifted above the
bare flesh, but suddenly it flashed across
the mind of this most skillful and emil
nent physician that he was assuming a
fearful responsibility and the instrument
was stayed, and the fee refunded with a
liberal addition, and Lieut.. Crawford
left Paris sick at heart, as we'll as in
body, with his terrible burden. The
animal, the reptile, or whatever it is,
has now grown quite large-equal in
size to those he saw in the wilds of Gu
ba-and most of the time is dormant,
but at times, as if craving for food, it
writhes and turns, causing excruciating
pains, at which time it's serpentine form
is plainly to be seen. When this occurs,
nothing seems to appease it but enor
NOUS quantities of vegetable food. Mr..
Clark and others will testify that Lieut..
Crawford ate three market-basketfuls
of water-cresses, grass, ETC., within a
very short period of time. Usually he
eats but little, the stomach being slim
ulated with large quantities of whisky,
a small quantity of which would intoxi-
cate an ordinary man, but which seems
to have no more effect on him than so
much water.
This remarkable case has been eX-
amined by The faculty of the Medical
Colleges of New York and St. Louis,
and by many of the most noted sur
geons, all agreeing that there is no re-
lief for the sufferer. Crawford has
given DR.. Gonzales, of Paris, full au-
thority to make a post, norton exam
nation of his body afterdeath, that en-
inent practitioner considering it one of
tn, most remarkable cases on record;
and we quite agree with him.