Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-17
THE JACKSON SNAKE STORY.

by Medical TestimOny,
Jackson SUM-
The statements in the Sun some
weeks ago, with regard to the ex-
pulsion of a veritable snake from
the stomach of Mrs. DR.. Alexander
Jackson, of this city, were received
by the public with misgivings and
doubts. Our publication was based
on facts furnished by DR.. Jackson
himself, but the astonishing char
acter Of the story necessarily arous-
ed suspicious of a "sell" and a Joke.
This view was strengthened by our
reporters failure to give names, a
course which he pursued out of
Difference to the excellent lady, who
very naturally shrank from the
publicity which so extraordinary a
circumstance would inevitably
cause. But after the publication,
and the evident suspicious of the
public, which was manifest, she
consented to an interview and to
having all the facts published. She
did this in the interest of science
and humanity, believing, very pro-
perly, that a full and fair history
of her sufferings and her happy
riddance would be valuable to med
ical science and to humanity.
We called at her residence and
our interview was had in the pres
ence of her husband, DR.. jackson.
We found her still feeble, but
bright and hopeful and utterly free
from all the symptoms which for
months previous had made her life
hell Her statement of the facts
are about as follows: Some two
years ago she was attacked with
malarial fever. From that time
her system seemed to give way.
But even before this attack she ex-
perienced symptoms of derange-
ment of the stomach. After the
fever she grew worse, suffered from
swimming in the head, throbbing
in the stomach, trembling, nausea
and oppressiyeness. For six or
eight months before the happy rid
dance she experienced sensations
in her stomach like the coiling and
uncoiling Of a serpent, her Stom-
ach seemed to initiate like a balloon,
followed by intense nausea.
These sensations of imitation were
felt even when no food had been
taken for ten or twelve hours. Af-
ter a long fast she could feel the
loathsome snake moving up to her
throat, and its restless Mornings
back and forth. When she took
food after a fast the worst symp-
toms were experienced. There was
then in her stomach violent lashing,
throbbing, clawing and a tumult
of eSaruciating agony. She Gays
that the most fevered Imagination
could hardly picture her intense
suferings, and that Pollock's des-
ciption of hell conveys but faint
idea Of her misery. In her stomach
seemed to be a "iire that is never
quenched, a worm that never dies"
On these occasions she felt as III
death was at hand, she sank and
became almost unconscious, and all
the symptoms of the last sleep were
experienced.
When the serpent was lashing
himself and most furious, the VIC |
TINS heart bounded and fluttered
madly and her pulse beat furiously. !
At such times she felt as if dying, |
and among her keenest pangs was,
that she would die of a thing which !
nobody would believe was in her
stomach, All her physicians ridi-
culed the idea that there was a SER
pent in her stomach, and she, the
sufferer, was alone in the knowledge |
of the loathsome cause of her peril. !
But such was her faith in the idea
of a serpent, that when she believed
death at hand she commanded that
when dead post mortem examina-
ton should be made in behalf Of
the science that had laughed at her,
and the world that would not be-
lieye her story. When the serpent
was killed, and what killed it she
does not know, the pain she had SO
long experienced had travelled with
ttI lN,,y,, ,.,fn Al. 1. r.