The daily gazette., 1879-02-27
A Terrible Death.

The Singular Accident Witch Compelled
a Man to Stdrpe to Death Painful
Consequences Of S,cdiiortng His False
Teeth-Sdren Weeks Without Food.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 25.-According
to the report of local prper man died
here on the 4th inst, under very singular
circumstances. His name was Levi
Wagonseller. He was thirty eight years
Of age and was employed in a cotton f.c-
tory at Paramount. One evening in De-
cember last lie entered Chestnut street
restaurant to get supper. When about
half through be suddenly felt something
sharp and pointed going down his throat,
causing HIM intense pam. Fer me-
ment he thought he had swallowed u
large jagged piece of bone, but putting
his hand 10 his mouth instinctively on
feeling the pain, he found that his false
teeth were MISSING, and he knew that it
must have they which had gol:e down his
throat. The teeth were three in mum
Der. They were fastened TO a silver
plate, and had been in his mouth for
many years. Recently the hooks hold
ing them in place had worn loose, and the
artificial teeth had annoyed him by fall
ing from his mo,th several times. Plate
aud all had gone down his throat, and he
could feel them lodged against his breast
Alarmed and suffering intensely, Wagon
seller wen. TO his home, which was in .
suburb OF the city (Hestonvile), in Pax
son street, between Fifty first and Fifty
second. He could eat no solid food, and
for two days took no solid food int his
stomach. On thh third day he managed
f<,f a IL
On this day the sufferer went " the Uni
versity Hospital to see DIR. Agnew, who,
after examining HIM, seemed TO have lit
tie hope Of saving his life.
Wagonseller then came to Philadel-
phia TO stop at his sisters house to receive
/ treatment from her physician, DIR. Stew
art, of No. $40 Green street.
THE MAN GROWS WORSE.
DR.. Stewart was called upon to visit
the patient ON the fift h day after the oc-
currence. He advised him to take =
swallow OF gin as the readiest means of
dislodging the teeth, which still RENAL u
| ed In the throat. The patient followed
the teeth going down. But this only led
to worse result. The teeth moved down
and lodged about one inch and half
above the entrance TO the stomach. Had
| they passed into the stomach, according
- medical authority, the chief danger in
the case would have been over. But
lodging as th.y did the patient could
swallow nothing. not even milk or water.
1t was absolutely impossi BILE to get any
thing down his throat. Milk was recon-
mendsd, but when 1t would be poured
down as soon as the glass would be re-
moved from his lips II would come back
exudiDg from ears, eyes, mouth and nos
trils. The strangest of all was what fol-
lowed. The man lived for seven weeks
without swallowing morsel of food OF
drop of water. Even the JUICE OF an
orange he could not swallow From a
stout, hearty man, weighing probably
1870 pounds, he dwihdled away 10 "a mere
skeleton. His hands became horrible to
look at by reason of their loss of flesh.
Strangely enough, too, all this time the
man, who was perfectly conscious and
rational, had no appetite. no craving for
food. The smell of victuals, he SAID,
made him sick From the time he wehi
to his SISTERS house, four days after the
accident, he had not stood on his feet
lying alternately on "a bed ami in an in
vallds lchair. This posture he kept, al
| the recommendation of his physician
until from lack Of food he became &C
weakened that there was no option III
the matter, and he had to lie all the time
Operation with an Instrument was sug-
gested by his physician, but thi, his sis
ter would not CONSENT to, unless assn
rance could be given that it would result
in saving his life. This, of course, the
physician 'ould not pr omise, and no suct
operation was tried.
sKvHN WEEKS WITHOUT FOOD.
After being for over seven weeks with
out food Wagonse Her died, death result
ing from inanition, or, III other words
starvation. To the very last he had nc
appetite for food. The day before hi.
death he began TO get short of breath anC
told his relatives that he felt himself dy
ing. Up TO the last hour he retained hi,
senses and talked freely about his case
instructing his relatives to have a post
mortem examination upon his body. III
accordance with his request the exami
nation was made by Ds. Stewart ant
Agnew. The plate, with the teeth in I
was found about one inch and a hal
above the entrance of the stomach, tn,
hooks firmly imbedded In the flesh
There were marks at certain intervals IL
the throat, showing the progress of the
plate as 1t passed downward, the
prints of the teeth being in several place.
PLAINLY visible. Had the plate, which
was about two inches long and an incl
wide, passed into the stomach, in tn,
opinion Of the physician it would hav,
dissolved and the mans life been saved
As 1t was, the plate passed down tn,
throat in a traverse form AMI once lOdp