The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-10-10
A Strange Case.

Vastly more Importance attaches
to the case of Lily NJ Hahn now than
when We wrote Friday last, writes
Hartford City, Ind, correspondent OF
the Indianapolis Sentinel. MIcroscop-
ic Investigations and research develop
the fact that the object expelled from
the bowels of the little sufferer belongs
to the ''snake family" 1t is now sew
enty-two hours since 1t was expelled,
and it is yet alive, and promises to
live for days to come. 1t is over two
feet long, perfectly round, smooth,
and uniform in size throughout its en-
tire length. Whenever the water be
comes chilled in which it is kept it be-
comes torpid, rigid, and apparently
lifeless. As soon as heat is applied
again it becomes active, and its move
ments all indicate it to be a snake OF
the water species. Under the micro
scope 1t has been seen frequently to
dart out tongue that resembles the
sting OF bee. 1t has been IN the pos
session OF your reporter since Friday
noon, and sufficient time has been Civ
EN- to examine all its characteristics,
every movement, and by the aid of a
powerful microscope We have now no
hesitancy In asserting it to be a spe-
cies Of water snake. The fact that the
child was subject to great thirst and
drank copious draughts OF water, and
Immediately after would gain relief
and comparative comfort, leads us to
conclude that the cold draughts OF wa
ter chilled the tormentOr until it
became torpid, thereby giving
the poor, afflicted child a respite
from the terrible agony it endured.
1t has none of the character
istics OF any form of entozoa or worm
described by the authorities that infest
the human body. The little miss is
now years OF age, and has been af-
tlicted for over three months. She
commenced to complain OF a peculiar
movement in the stomach as If some
thing alive existed in that organ. As
the days, weeks, and months went by
the symptoms became gradually az
gravated, until at last she was obliged
to take her cot, where she lay in great
cons family calling for water, of
which she drank so long as the stom-
ach would sustain it. Her appetite
was depraved, and for days at a time
she could eat nothing At present,
she is greatly emaciated, weak, almost
bloodless, and although on her way to
rapid recovery, the physical suffering
she has endured, and the great agony
of mind in regard to something "alive
in the stomach" has reduced her to
shadow; but Immediately on being
relieved of it she exclaimed, 81 am
well now, Oh, | feel so good" and
called for something to eat, and the
great thirst she had been subject to is
gone. For a short time before it's ex-
pulsion she complained of pain in her
bowels Just below the stomach. Then
it gradually followed the intestinal
track until it discharged alive. We
conclude that she must have drank
water IN which the Ova or egg had been
deposited, or the object, alive and
quite small, existed, and then gradu-
ally developed until it attained it's
present size. 1t certainly possesses
more than passing interest, and in
vites investigation by medical men and
other scientists as to its probable gen.
Grafton in the stomach from the Ova
or egg, or that it was first taken into
that organ alive, and existed there for
over three months, and then became
dislOdged and was expelled from the
bowels alive. Hundreds Of people
have seen the object alive, and each
and all are startled and amazed, and
express sympathy for the little child
and Joy at her release from the terri
bile tOrmpntOr