The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-08-20
A Fish In His Ear.

A most horrible case of suffering is
reported in this city. says n late issue OF
the Reading (Pa.) Eagle. The name of
the victim is George Whitman, son of
Howard Whitman, aged fourteen
years. His sufierings were ter
rible in the extreme, and the pain and
agony endured by him almost drove him
mad. Young Whitman. in company
with number of boys about his own
age, was in the habit of bathing in the
SchuylkiIl, and since vacation commence
ed has gone in the water several times
day. Three weeks ago he was swim
ming with several of his schoolmates,
and while diving he experienced tick
ling sensation in one of lis ears. Di-
rectly after he had little pain, but it
was only momentaIy, and soon passed
away. He probed for the object with
snarp piece of wood, but could find
nothing. He dressed and went home.
and no more attention was paid to the
matter. Some time after he had ter
rible headache, ard from that time up
to within few days ago he experienced
nothing but an unceasing agony. The
boy is naturally small and delicate for
his age, and the awful strain upon his
nervous system was enough to greatly
reduce him and render him almost
crazy. Sometimes there was n slight
alleviation. but it invariably increased,
and always with increasing pain. No
physician was employed, his parents
thinking he was afflicted with earache.
The agony increased, and the boy passed
many a sleepless night His eye lost It's
brilliancy, and his cheeks their rosy,
heaithful hue. Laudanum was recon-
mended as a remedy for earache, and
enough of the liquid was poured into
his auditory passage TO lay him into
that sweet sleep that knows no waking.
No relief was experienced by the fre-
quent application of laudanum; and
rabbits rat was next recommended. The
animal was obtained and lot of fat
rendered. This brought no relief, and
only greater and more horrible suffer-
ing. Matters went on in this way for
over two weeks. 1t was now thought
that the boy was afflicted with neural
gia, because he only experienced the
pain in fits and starts. When it first
commenced the one side of his head felt
rs If some small object was wrigging
and twisting in his ear. During this
time he often thought the top of his
head was about bursting open. The
properties of molasses to draw" are
well known and drop was poured into
his ear. At eleven O'Clock at night he
had another attack, and the pain he then
endured, his parents say, is simply in
describable. Sleep was impossible.
Lying quietly down was not to be
thought of. Up and down the room
and through various parts OF the house
the boy paced all night. At six O'Clock
next morning he felt something press
hard against the lobe of his ear. His
mother was called, and, winding a
handkerchief around the head of a small
pin, probed into his ear. She saw some-
thing protrude. She reached for 1t, got
a firm hold, and pulled out a white
looking object, over two inches long,
which proved to be a fish, one of the
species used by many of the disciples
OF Izaak Walton for bait, Immediate
relief was experienced. The boy felt as
If a weight OF fifty pounds had been re-
houo,, fn oat baffar