The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-02-27
A TERRIBLE DEATH,
AN ACCIDENT WHICH COMPELLED
A MAN TO sTARvE TO DEATH.
Painful Consequence Of Swallowing his False
Teeth-SeVen Weeks without Food.

Philadelphia, Feb. 26 According to
the report of local paper a man died
here on the 4th inst. under very singular
circumstances. His name was Lew
Wagonseller. He was thirty eight years
of age and was employed in cotton FAC
tory at Paramount. One evening in De-
cember last he enteTeda a Chestnut street
restaurant to get supper. When about
half through the meal he suddenly felt
something sharp and pointed going down
his throat causing him intense pain. For
a moment he thought he had swallowed
a large and Jagged piece of bone, but put
ing his hand to his mouth instlncuVeiy
on feeling the pain, he found that MS
false teeth were MISSING, and he knew
that it must have been they which had
gone down his throat. The teeth were
three in number. They were fastened
to a silver plate, and had been in his
mouth TOR many years. Recently the
hooks holding them in place had worn
loose, and the artificial teeth had annoy
ed him by falling from his mouth sever
al times. Plate and all had gone down
his throat, and he could feel them lodged
against his breast. Alarmed and sutier-
ing intensely, Wagonseller went to his
home, which was in suburb of the city
HestOnville), in Paxson street, between
Fifty. first and Fifty second. He could
eat no solid food, and for two days took
nothing into his stomach. On the third
day he managed to force down little
bread and milk. On this day the sufferer
went to the University Hospital to see
DR.. Agnew. who, after examining him,
seemed to have little hope OF saving his
life.
Wagonseller then came to Philadel-
phia to stop at his sisters house to re-
ceive treatment from her physician, DIR.
Stewart, of No. $40 Green street.
THE OLD MAN GROWS WORSE.
DR.. Stewart was called on to visit the
patient the fifth day after the occurrence
He advised him to take swallow ofgln
as the readiest means of dislodging the
teeth, which still remained in his throat.
The patient followed his ADVICE, and al
most Immediately felt the teeth going
down. But this only led to worse re-
suit. The teeth moved down and stop
ped about ar inch and half above the
entrance to the stomach. Had they gone
into the stomach, according to medical
authority, the cLief danger in the case
would have been over. But stopping as
they did the patient could swallow moth
ing, not even milk or water. 1t was inn
possible to get anything down his throat.
Milk was recommended, but when pour
ed down, and the glass removed, it would
come back issue from ears, eyes, mouth
and nose. The strangest of all was, the
man lived seven weeks without swallow
ing morsel of food or drop of water.
Even the Juice Of an orange he could not
swallow. From a stout, hearty man,
weighing 100 pounds, he dwindled to a
mere skeleton His hands became hor.
rible to look at by reason of their loss of
flesh, Strange, 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 went
to his sisters house, four days after the
accident, he had not stood on his feet, ,ly'
ing alternately on bed and in an inval-
ids chair. This posture he kept, at the
recommendation of his physician, until,
from lack Of food he became 80 weakened
there was no option in the matter, and
he had to lie down all the time. Opera
ton with an instrument was suggested
by his physician, but bis sister would not
consent to this unless assured it would
result in saving his life. This, of course,
the physician could not promise, and
no such operation was tried.
sEvEN WEEKS WITHOUT FOOD.
After being for overseven weeks with
out food, Wagonseller died, death result
ing from inanition, or, starvation. To
the very last he had no appetite for food.
The day before his death he began to
get short of breath, and told his relatives
he felt himself dying Up to the last
hour he retained his senses and talked
freely about bis case, instruCting his rel
atives to have a post mOrtem examination
made upon his body. In accordance with
his request the examination was made by
Drs. Stewart and Agnew. The plate, with
with the teeth in it was found about one
inch and half above the entrance of the
stomach, the hooks firmly imbedded in
the flesh. There were marks at certain
intervals in the throat, showing the pro-
gress of the plate as it passed downward,
the prints of the teeth being in several
places plainly visible. Had the plate,
which was about two inches long and an
inch wide, passed into the stomach, in
the opinion of the physicians it would
have dissolved and the mans life been
saved. as it was, the plate passed down
the throat in a transverse form, and once
lodged at the flrthest point, displace.