Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1878-06-22
Swallowing Needles and Pins.

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Here is sing llar case, and. for B
that, it is a case that is not absJ' ssssxT 4
rare. 1t is know that there are sOass'
epicures who have a decided taste for
needles. They swallow them by the
dozen like oyster, some with ar appar-
ent passion, for cases are cited 6f per-
sons who have swallowed hundreds of
needles. There are others who prefer
pins-little white Dns with ronnd hEe8z
Pins and needles travel all through the
tissues. They work their way almost
with ease through the body, much more
surely than living creatures. Their mi
grafton through the different organs is
more or less long. At the end of sew
eral months, and often after several
years, the needles reach the skin, and
they are taken out sometimes in the
same manner that pin is plucked from
a pin-cushion. No doubt the thing
seems improbable, but it is absolutely
true.
We find lovers of needles not only
among lunatics, but even among people
sound in body and mind. At La Sal
petreire especially there have been
patients who have swallowed hundreds
of needles. Silvy makes special men
ton of a woman in the full enjoyment
of all her faculties who had passion
for devouring pins and needles. At the
autopsy of her body 1900 of them were
found in various organs. Fabrice de
Hidden tells of a lady full of health who
in her moments of ennui swallowed pins
which came out through the skin six
years after their introduction. Villars
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26 years who in nine months turned out
more than 200 needles and pins swal-
lowed two years before. These little
strangers came out through the hands,
the arms, the armpits, the abdomen, and
even the knees, and all upon the left
side. The pins advanced more rapidly
than the needles, the latter being oxi-
died.
DIR. Otto of Copenhagen cites anoth-
er case not less curious. The observa-
ton that he was enabled to make was
in the case of a young girl who, in fit,
had probably swallowed a large guam
tity of needles. DIR. Otto saw 1876 of
them come out from different parts of
her body. Little pimples formed them
selves on the surface of the skin in
bunches-perfect nests of needles
tracted.
DIR. Gillette, hospital surgeon, who
has just published a very interesting note
on this subject, states that in January,
1878, DIR. Bigger cited an analogous
case before the Irish Society of Surgery.
Over 800 needles were found in the body
of nurse in Whitford Hospital. One
of the needles penetrated the elbow, and
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pital. 1t could not be exactly ascer-
tanned how they had been taken into the
body, but every thing tends to the be-
lief, says DR.. Bigger, that they had been
swallowed. We have ourselves recent
ly mentioned, according to DIR. Camara
Cabral, the case of a young girl sixteen
parts of whose body over 80 needles
were taken.
DIR. Gillette has just referred to case
of similar nature in Paris with a Young
girl of 20, who gave out from different
parts of her body several needles, which
appeared under the skin, and, perforat-
ing it, could easily be taken out with
the fingers, or with little pinchers.
Their coming out was not accompanied
by any flow of blood. On being ques-
toned on this subject the young girl re-
manned silent as to the origin of the
presence of the needlesin her body.
Suspecting that the thing was mere
trick, M. Lepaulmier watched the pa
tient closely and was himself able to
witness the coming out of the needles.
In 18 months more than 320 ap peared.
They were all put into little flannel
needle-case. For the most part they
were oxidized and black. The greater
portion were complete; others were bro
ken, and were taken out in fragments
more or less long. These needles came
out from different parts of the body, at ir-
regular intervals, and taking parallel
course invariably the same. Thus, from
the 4th TO the 9TH of September, 42 ap-
peared, and from the 9th to the 10th of
November, 109. 1t often happened that
a great number appeared in single
day. In October, 1874, there came out
81, 81, 81, and 20 day. The greatest
quantity appeared just above the right
breast; but they were found in the legs,
] the arms, the temple, and the right
# check. A strange phenomenon pre-
l 1adsd the issue forth OF these foreign
! bodies. ..I,he patient experienced sew
eral hours III advance singing pains,
which produced fever well marked.
I Then she felt a sensation as of sud
den projection or shock within the tis-
sues, followed bysa prickling sensation.
The young girl then examined the part OF
the body which had been the seat of tins
momentary sensation, and she saw the
head of needle outside the skin to a
sufficient length to be caught hold OF
and pulled out. All the needles came
out head foremost. M. Lepaulmier
took out 31S. Six were extracted by
the patient herself. There was no trace
of Inflammation at the parts from which
they came out.
The girl never having displayed any
over-nervous excitement, Messrs. LIE.
paulmier and Gillette came to the con
clusion that the needles had been vol
UNFAIRLY swallowed by the young gir
with view to committing suicide. Shit
never gave any explanation further thar
to say that while she was at school on'
of her comrades, who several times hat
tried to play ugly tricks upon her, mus
have put the needles into sweets, whicl
she was particularly fond of. This ex
PLANTATION seems difficult to admit. Ever
up to the present day needles from tim
! to time make their appearance through
the body. of the young lady.
Similar cases might be multiplied. i
is sufficient for us to have shown tina
3 the exit of needles and pins through tn
! skin is a positive fact. The preceding
details go to show beyond doubt tina
3 pins can often be swallowed without an
serious consequences, and that there
$ no need for serious alarm when one ha
a accidentally been swallowed. AT tn
, same time, the above cases have ais
{ shown that it is prudent to abstain fror
pins and needles as articles OF food.-
Henri de ParUille, in Paris journal de
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