The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-04-29
[Harper's Weekly.l
Franks With the Mouth,


pranks with, but it often is so. Th'
needless practice of putting small arti
cles in the mouth, either for the pur
pose Of holding them for few mo-
ments OF for playing some trick, ha:
been frequently attended with very
serious consequences. Yet the prac.
tice is common, especially among
young women, who may be seen hold.
ing pins between their teeth while
dressing. Medical attendants in hos
pitfalls have frequent cause to find fault
with female patients of humble rank
for putting pins in their mouth when
they they have occasion to remove
any part of their dress.
Children Of both sexes seem almost
to have an instructive fancy to put
playthings in their mouth, and some
times therefore give no end Of trouble
to parents and nurses. Notwithstand-
ing every precaution, distressing acci-
dents occur A few years ago a boy
swallowed a small piece of brass chain,
with which he had been amusing him
self by putting it into his mouth.
The bit of chain lodged in the stom-
ach, and though medical aid was re-
sorted to, the poor child languished
and died. Only few weeks ago, as
mentioned in the London Lancet, a
young boy in Devonshire died from
having allowed small tin whistle to
slip from his mouth into the traches,
where it stuck, and baffled attempts at
removal. Death took place from ina
bility to breathe.
Remarkable instances are related Of
needles which have been accidentally
swallowed finding their way, point
foremost, through the sides Of the
stomach, and thence to the exterior
surface of the body, where they are
drawn out. 1t is all chance, how
ever, that they make their escape in
this harmless manner, and according
ly there is no excuse for women
thoughtlessly, it may be perversely,
putting needles in their mouth. Those
who do so run a great risk Of perish
ing in considerable agony Occasion
ally female lunatics in their mad
freaks unwittingly kill themselves by
swallowing needles which they man
age to secrete. A case has been men
toned to us of a most extraordinary
degree of mad perversity. A female
lunatic had such morbid craving for
swallowing small parcels Of needles
which from time to time she procured
that at length she destroyed herself
At a post-mortem examination as
many-if we mistake not-as three
hundred 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 record
ed, the great French surgeon, Baron
Dupuytren, extracted two hundred
and ffty-four needles through the
skin, to which they had found their
way from the stomach.
In the narrative of memorable cases
connected with Guys Hospital there
is a curious story of sailor named
John Cummings, who, in spirit Of
vulgar brag, and mostly when half in
toxicated, swallowed clasp-knives. In
1899 he had seen a French juggler
perform the trick Of assumedly swal-
lowing knives of that kind as a public
entertainment. The feat was so Gle
verify 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 credu-
lous sort, and to astonish his mess
mates he began to swallow clasp
knives He at first swallowed only
four, which, fortunately for him, were
expelled, and no inconvenience ensued.
He thought no more Of knife-swallow-
ing 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 ex-
ploits, and was ready to repeat his per-
formance A small knife was produc-
ed, which he instantly swallowed. In
the course of that evening he swal-
lowed five more. The next morning
crowds of visitors came to see him,
and in the course Of the day he was
induced to swallow eight knives more,
making in all fourteen.
He paid dearly for his frolic; for he
was seized with constant vomiting,
and pain in the stomach. Taken to a
hospital, he was by efficacious 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 undis-
solved remained in his stomach. The
amount of relief, whatever it was,
did not cure the poor wretch of his
folly. When at Spithead in Decem-
Der, 1905, and somewhat tipsy, he re-
sumed his boastfulness Of being able
to swallow knives, and to amuse 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 sever
al months, during which portions of
knives were discharged. At length he
was admitted as patient at Guys
Hospital in 1907, and again he came
to. the hospital in 1908. There he re-
mained, sinking under his sufferings,
until March, 1909, when he died in a
state of extreme emaciation.
An incident is told of the late Mr.
Brunei, the eminent English engi-
ueer, who planned the Thames Tuu-