Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-03
TERRIBLE DEATH.
The Singular Accident Which Compelled
a Man to Staryc,

Ass AsAA w AAASW SVUetOAAV&1
a Man 10 Starvc.
Philadelphia, Feb. 25, 1S79.-According
to the report of q local paper u man dieu
circumstances. His name was Levi Wagon. !
seller. He was thirty-eight years of age. |
and was employed in a cotton factory at
Paramount. One evening in December last
he entered . 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 q moment he thought he
had swallowed = large and Jagged piece Of
bone, but putting his hand to his mouth in. |
stinctively o feeling the pain, he found
that his false teeth were missing, and he
knew that it must have been them which
had gone down his throat. The teeth we're
three in number. They were fastened 10 a
silver plate, and had been in his mouth for
many years. Recently the hooks holding
them in place had worn loose, and the arti-
fetal teeth had annoyed HIM by falling
from his mouth several times. Plate and
all had gone dow his throat, and he could
feel them lodged against his breast. Alarm
ed and suffering intensely, Wagonseller went
to his home, which vas in y suburb of the
city (Hestonvilie,) in Paxson street, between
Fiity-frst and Fifty.second. He could eat
no solid food, and for two days took nothing
into his tomach. On the third day he
managed to force down a 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 lite.
Wagons.ller then came to Philadelphia
10 stop at his sisters house to receive treat
ment from her physician, Dr.. Stewart, vf
No. $40 Green street.
DR.. Stewart was called upon to visit the
patient on the fifth day after the occurrence.
He advised him to take a swallow Of gin n,
the readiest means Of dislodging the teeth,
which still remained in the throat. The
patient followed his advice, and almost i'm.
tnediately felt the teeth going down. Blu,
this only lead 10 q worse result. The teeth
moved down and lodged about one inch and
a hall above the entrance to the stomach.
Had they passed into the stomach, according
to medical authority, the chief danger in
the case would have been over. But lodging
as they did the patient could swallow nolh-
ing, not even milk or water. 1t was ab.o-
lutely impossible to get anything down his
throat. Milk was recommended, but when
1t would be poured down as soon az the
glass would be removed from his lips it
would come back, exuding from ears, eyes,
mouth and nos,rils. The strangest Of ali
was what followed. The man lived for
seven weeks without swallowing y morsel of
food or a drop OF water. Even the juice of
an orange he could not swallow. From a
stout, hearty. man. weighing probably 100
pounds, he dwindled away 10 a mere skele-
ION. His hands became horrible TO look at
by reason Of their loss of flesh. Strange
ly enough, too, all this time the
man, who was perfectly conscious and ra-
lional, had no ape lite, no craving for food.
The smell OF v%ictuals, he SAID. made him sick.
From The time be went TO his sisters house.
four days after the accident he had not
stood on his feet, lying alternately on q bed
and in an invallds chair. This posture
he kept on the recommendation of his
physician, until from lack of food he be-
Came SO weakened that there was no option
in the matter, and be had to lie all the time.
Operation with an instrument was suggested
bv his physician, but this his 8 ster would
not consent to, unless assurance could be
gwen that it would result 10 saving bis life.
This. of course, the physician could not
promise. and no such operation was per
formed.
After living for over seven weeks with
out food Wsgonseller died. death resulting
from inanltion, or, 10 other words starva-
ton. The day before his death he began to
get short Of breath and told his relatives
that be felt himself dying. Up to the last
hour be retained bis sunses and talked freely
about his case. instructing bis relatives to
have a posi.mDrteln examination made up0n
his rOdy. In accordance with his request
the examination was made by Drs. Stewart
and Aguew. The plate, with The teeth IN
IT. WAS found about one inch and q half
above the entrance of the stomscb. the
hooks firmly imbedded in the flesh. There
were marks at certain intervals in the throat,
showing the progress OF the plate ~ il
passed downward, The prints OF the tee b
being 10 several places plainly visible. Had
the plate which was sbnut two inches long
aud an inch wide passed into the stomach,
in the opinion of the physician it would
have dissolved and the mans lie been
saved. As it was. the plate passed down
the throat in q transverse form. and once
lodged at the furthrest point, displacement,
was impossible.