The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-09-17
CURIOUS CASES.

IA says: Here is singular case, and |
for all that, 1t is case not absolutely |
rare. 1t is known that there are some |
epicures who have decided taste for |
needles. They swallow them by the
dozen like oysters, some with an appa-
rent passion, for cases are cited of per-
sons who have swallowed hundreds of
needles. There are others who prefer
pins, little white pins with round heads.
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 several
months, and often after several years,
the needles reach the skin, and they are
taken out sometimes in the manner that
pin is plucked from a pin-cushion.-
No doubt the thing seems improbable,
bnt 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 pa
tients who have swallowed hundreds of
needles. Silvy makes special mention
of woman in the full enjoyment of all
her faculties, who had a passion for de-
vouring pins and needles. AT the au-
topsy of her body 800 of them were
| found in various organs. Fabrice de
Hidden tells of a lady, full of health,
who, in her moments of ennui, swallow
ed pins, which came out through the
skin six years after their introduction.
Villars reports the case of young wo-
man, of twenty-six years, who, in nine
months, turned out more than 200 nee
dies and pins swallowed two years be-
fore. These little strangers came out
through the hands, the arms, the arm
pits, the abdomen, and even the knees,
and all upon the left side. The pins ad-
vanced more rapidly than the needles,
the latter being oxidized.
DIR. Otto of Copenhagen, cites another
case and less curious. The observation
that he was enabled to make was in the
case of young girl who, in fit, had
probably swallowed large quantity of
needles. DR.. Otto saw 395 of them come
out from different parts of her body.
Little pimples formed themselves on
the surface of the skin in lunches
perfect nests of needles-from one of
which 100 needles were extracted.
DR.. Gillette, hospital surgeon, who
has just published u very interesting
note on this subject, states that in jan
uary, 1878, DR.. Bigger cited an analogous
case before the Irish Society of Sur
gerry. Over 800 needles were found in
the body of nurse in Whitworth
Hospital. One of the needles penetrated
the elbow, and the nurse died at the
Richmond Hospital. 1t could not ex-
actly be ascertained how they had been
taken into the body, but everything
tends to the belief, says DR.. Bigger,
that they had been swallowed. We
have ourselves recently mentioned,
according to Dr. Camara Cabral, the
case of a young girl sixteen years old,
an epileptic, from different parts of
whose body over ninety needles were
taken.
DIR. Gillette has just referred to case
of similar nature in Paris with a
young girl of twenty, who gave out
from different parts of her body several
needles, which appeared under the skin,
perforating it, could easily be taken out
with the fingers, or with little pincers.
Their coming out was not accompanied
by any flow of blood. On being ques-
toned on this subject the young girl
remained silent as to the origin of the
presence of the needles in her bodr.
Suspecting that the thing was mere
trick, M. Lepulmier watched the
patient closely and was himself able
to witness the coming out of the needles.
In eighteen months more than 800
appeared. 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 broken, and were taken out in
fragments more or less long. These
needles came out from different parts
of the body, at irregular intervals, and
taking parallel course invariably the
same. Thus, from the 4th to the 5th
ofSeptember, AZ appeared, and from the
9th to the 10th of November, 100. 1t
often happened that great number APP
peared in single day. 1t October, 1874,
there came out 81, 81, 81, and 20 a day
The greatest quantity appeared just