Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-20
SOME opp pEysLopMEsrs.

The tendency OF needles to infest the
human body has long been known. These
troublesome parasites attack women almost
exclusively, doubtless for the reason that
the softness of the feminine tissues renders
it easy for needles to drive their galleries
and pursue their devious courses. Whether
needles are present in the system in an
acute or chronic form they are rarely dan
gerous. a woman who swallows a needle
is pretty sure to feel occasional pains of an
apparently neuralgic character, but this is
the chief inconvenience which she suffers.
Sooner or later the needle is certain to
come 70 the surface, where it can be easily
captured. Cases have been known OF
women who have become infested by doz-
ems of needles, all OF which have harmlessly
made their way to her exterior. The NEE
die disease therefore, while it affords a
curious study to the scientific investigator,
is not regarded by physicians as an affair Of
much consequence, or as one which calls
for any treatment except the exhibition OF
emery powder in small doses, the action
of which, in keeping the needles sharp
and bright, and thus enabling them
to make their way to the skin with rap
iditv, is regarded as especially valuable.
Needles have never been supposed to be
hereditary, but recent case reported by a
physician of eminence proves that needles
may be inherited. A lady accidently ran
needle into her foot twenty years ago,
and it lay apparently dormant in her sys-
TEN so many years that it's existence was
almost forgotten. In 1878 she was mar
ried, and year after the birth. of her in
g., 4 = ba paoJ IL r,a1o 70 orna,r
ance in the infants shoulder. There could
be no doubt that it was the original needle
by which the mother had been attacked in
1860, for it was of peculiar and now OBJ
solete pattern, and the mother distinctly
remembered that needles of that pattern
were in use at the time Of her attack.
There can be no doubt that the infant in
herited the needle from her mother, and
that henceforth physicians will expect to
find tendency to needles in children
either of whose parents has suffered from the
presence of needles in the tissues. AS it is
asserted that people have died from
needles, although there are very few such
cases on record, the insurance companies
will doubtless add to the questions which
they put to candidates for insurance, Did
your father or mother ever swallow needles,
and, if SO, how many and what kind-sew-
ing. darning, or carpet p
The needle disease reminds one of new
and remarkable disease which has attacked
lady residing in Chicago, o. She is mar.
ried and of the age of Al, and has hitherto
been unusually exempt from sickness.
Three weeks ago she began to cut new
set OF teeth. That an adult should cut a
new set of teeth is not an event without a
parallel, but in this instance the Chicago
lady's teeth do not appear in her mouth.
They came to the surface in the most mis-
cellaneous manner, SO that she fairly
bristled with teeth from head to foot.
Thirty. three teeth had thus been cut at
the latest advices, and more were conf
IDENTIFY expected. As fast as the teeth ap-
peared they were gathered by the lady g
husband, who intends to place them on
exhibition at the rooms of leading local
dentist.
This phenomenon is explained by the
doctors much as they explain the phenom.
ena of the needle disease. They insist that
the Chicago lady must have accidentally
swallowed full set of false teeth, and that
these, becoming detached from the plate,
have worked their way to her surface. This
is probably true. The lady, however, de.
nies having ever consciously swallowed her
teeth, though she admits that three years
ago she did own full set of false teeth,
which she lost, but which she still believes
were either mislaid by her or loaned to
some friend whose name she cannot recall,
and who failed to return them. If she re-
ally did swallow them, it is evident that
false teeth, like needles, have the power to
explore the recesses of the human body,
and to make their way to any extremity
with ease and certainty. 1t is to be hoped
that hereafter men and women who are ad-
dicted to false teeth will recognize the i'm
policy of swallowing them, and that the
medical faculty will not be required to
take notice of a second case of human
being infested by teeth in the muscles.
Still more remarkable is the case of the
Cincinnati German who accidentally con.
tracted the marble disease. He was accus-
toned whenever he was in the least degree
excited to drink gallon of beer, and for
that purpose kept large pewter measure,
holding precisely gallon, on his dining
room table. Being one day engaged in an
earnest pork argument with neighbor who
had called at his house, he hastily took up
the measure and drained it. There was
only half gallon of beer in the measure,
although the servant girl thought she had
filled it. The Germans small. boy had taken
the liberty of putting all his marbles in the
measure on the previous evening, and had
thus half filled it. In his excitement the
worthy German swallowed the entire two
quarts OF marbles, and month later broke
out with an eruption of assorted marbles of
all sizes and materials, greatly to the re-
lief of the small boy, who had mourned his
treasures as being hopelessly lost. Four
hundred and seven marbles made their
way to the surface of the suffering man,
but, after they had been gathered by the
physician and nurse, he recovered, and,
although his surface is badly pitted, he is
now as well as usual.
And, finally, the most remarkable thing
of all is the ease with which the public
swallows these stories of needle, teeth and
marble diseases. OF all the feats of swal.
lowing this is undoubtedly the most won
derful, and there seems to be hardly man,
woman or child in the community who is
not capable of swallowing any and all stories
of this general character.-IN. Y. Times