The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-05-15
FRANKS WITH THE MOUTH.

| young women, who may be seen holdin
pins between their teeth while dressing
Medical attendants in hospitals have fire
quent cause to find fault with female pa
tients of humble rank for putting pin
IN their mouth when they have occasion
to remove any part of their dress.
Children of both sexes seem almost t,
have an instructive fancy to put play
things i'll their mouth, and sometime
therefore give no end of trouble to par
ents and nurses. Notwithstanding ever,
precaution, distressing accidents occur
y few years ago boy swallowed small
piece of brass chain, with which he hat
been amusing himself by putting it int
his mouth. The bit of chain lodged il
the stomach and though medical aid wa.
resortcd to, the poor child languishet
and died Only few weeks ago. as men
toned i'll the London Lancet, a young
boy in Devonshire died from having al
lowed small tin whistle to slip from hi.
mouth into the trachea, where it stuck
and batlied attempts ut removal DEATH
took place from inability to breathe.
Remarkable instances are related Of
needles, which had been accidental,
swallowed, finding their way, point fore.
most, through the sides of the stomach,
and thence to the exterior surface of the
body, where they are drawn out. 1t is
all chance, however, that they make
their escape in this harmless manner and
accordingly there is no excuse for women
thoughtlessly, it may be perversely, put
ting needles i'll their mouth. Those who
do so run Il great risk Of perishing in con-
siderable agony. Occasionally female lu-
natics in their mad freaks unwittingly
kill themselves by swallowing needles
which they manage to secrete. A case
has been mentioned to us of most ex-
traordinary degree of mad perversity.
y female lunatic had such morbid cray
ing for swallowing small parcels of nee
dies which from time to time she pro-
cured that at length she DESTROYED her
self. At a post-mortem examination as
many-if we mistake not-as three hun
dred and ninety needles. in less or more
state of corrosion, were found lodged in
various parts of her body. In another
case that has been recorded, the great
French surgeon, Baron Dupuytren, ex-
tracted two hundred and fifty-four nee
dies through the skin, to which they had
found their way from the stomach.
In the narrative of memorable eases
connected with Guys Hospital there is a
curious story of a sailor named John
Cummings, who, in spirit of vulgar
Drag. and mostly when half intoxicated.
swallowed clasp-knivcs. In 1899 he had
seen French juggler perform the trick
of assumedly swallowing knives of that
kind as Il public entertainment. The
feat was SO cleverly performed that the
Spectators-or at least some of them
were under the belief that the knives
vanished down the throat of the juggler,
instead of being put by sleight of hand
in some part of his dress. The sailor, in
his simplicity, was one of the credulous
sort, and to astonish his messmates he
began to swallowed only four. which,
fortunately for him. were expelled, and
no Inconvenience ensued. He thought
no more of knife-swallowing for six years.
In March, 1905. when at Boston. he was
one day tempted, while drinking with a
party of sailors, to boast of his former
exploits, and was ready to repeat his per-
Torrance. \ small knife was produced,
which he instantly swallowed. In the
course of that evening he swallowed five
more. The next morning crowds of visi-
tors came to see him, and in the course
of the day he was induced to swallow
eight knives more, making in all four
teen.
lie paid dearly for his frolic, for he was
seized with constant vomiting. and pain
in the stomach. Taken to hospital, he
was. by etficacious medical treatment,
relieved, as he imagined of all the knives
he had swallowed. But in this he would
appear to have been mistaken. Portions
of knives undissolved remained in his
stomach. The amount of relief, what
ever it was did not cure the poor wretch
Of his folly. When at Spithead in De-
cember, 1905, and somewhat tipsy, he
resumed his boastfulness of being able
to swallow knives, and to amusc the
ships company swallowed nine clasp
knives, some of them of large SIZE
Again he became i'll, and was in the
hands of the ships surgeon for several
months, during which portions of knives
were discharged. At length he was ad-
mitted as patient at Guys Hospital in
1907, and again he came to the hospital
III 1908. There he remained, sinking I'M
der his sutferings, until March, 1909,
when he died in state of extreme ema-
citation.
An incident is told of the late Mr. Bru-
mel, the eminent English engineer, who
planned the Thames Tunnel and the Great
Western Railway. One day while divert
ing a child with tricks of sleight of hand,
by causing half sovereign to mysteri-
ously disappear and reappear, stunning
disaster occurred. The trick consisted in
concealing the coin in his mouth, and
pretending to bring it out at his ear. All
at once, before he was aware, and to his
dismay, the half sovereign slipped down
into his .ullet. He tried to cough it up
without effect. There it stuck. Every
surgical device was tried to get hold Of
it without avail. 1t became evident that
if the coin could not be dislodged, fatal
results would ensue. Ii was a matter of
life and death. In the dire dilemma into
which he had needlessly brought him
self, BrrneTs presence of mind did not
desert him. lie devised a wooden struc-
lure W WHICH DC co'ili oe slldpPeu He"u
downward. in the hope that the half SOW
ereign would fall out of his throat by the
force of gravity. 1t was painful expert
ment. but life was at stake. He was
fixed to tho machine head downmost,
keeping his mouth open. To his mex
pressible relief, the coin dropped from
its lurking place. and rolled to the floor,
An acrn1nt WaS latcly nn hliShel of the