The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-07-11

strangers came out through the hands,
the arms, the armpits, the abdomen, and
even the knees, and all upon the left
sioe The pins advanced more rapidly
Than the needles, the latter being oxi-
died.
DR.. 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 large guam
tlty OF needles. Dr. Otto saw 395 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
from one of which 100 needles were ex-
tracted. L--ts
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
the nurse died at the Richmond Hos
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
y mentioned, according to DIR. Camara
Cabial, the case of young girl sixteen
years old, an epileptic, from different
parts of whose body over 80 needles
were taken.
DIR. Gillette has just referred to a case
OF a similar nature in Paris with 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 a 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 needles in her body.
Suspecting that the thing was a 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 32O 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 bro
ken, 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 a parallel
course invariably the same. Thus, from
the 4th to the 7th of September, AZ ap-
peared, and from the 9th to the 10th of
November, 109 1t often happened that
a great number appeared in a single
day. In October, 1874, there came out
2l, 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
cheek. A strange phenomenon pre-
ceded the issue forth of these foreign
bodies. The patient experienced sew
eral hours in advance stinging pains,
which produced fever well marked.
Then she felt sensation as of sud-
den projection or shock within the It's
sues, followed by prickling sensation.
The young girl then examined thep of
the body which had been the seat of this
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
oyer-nervous excitement, Messrs. Le-
paulmier and Gillette came to the con-
clusion that the needles had been vol
unfairly swallowed by the young girl
with a view to committing suicide. She
never gave any explanation further than
to say that while she was at. school one
of her comrades, who several times had
tried to play ugly tricks upon her, must
have put the needles into sweets, which
she was particularly fond of. This ex-
planation seems difficult to admit. Even
up to the present day needles from time
to time make their appearance through
the body of the young lady.
Similar cases might be multiplied. 1t
is sufficient for us to have shown that
the exit of needles and pins through the
skin is positive fact. The preceding
details go to show beyond a doubt that
pins can often be swallowed without any
serious consequences, and that there is
no need for serious alarm when one has
been swallowed. At the
same time, the above cases have also
shown that it is prudent to abstain from
pins and needles as articles of food
Henri de Par0ille, in Paris Journal des
Deb0ts.
LoDGING-HoUsE-k keepers in Paris are
now looking back to the last Exposi-