The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-01
UNIQUE SURGERY.
HOW A FORK WAS IsEMOVEn]
FROM A MANS STOMACH
The Patient Placed Under Mesmerfc
Induence-An Opening Made In
His Side, and the Fork Re-
moved Without Trouble.


A New York letter to. the ,Cincinnati
Enquirer furnishes the following detail4
of wonderful surgical case: Michael
Malone, an humble gardener, living int
Flushing, L. l., is mainly responsible
for the resurrection or hypnotisn and
establishing it on a basis where il viii
compel the best medical thought to BIZ
expended upon it to develop Its usefulS
ness. Malone is a young man, and ha$
the reputation of being an expert amaS
teur performer of slight-of- hand ard
otherstricks. Sword swallowing wass hig
favorite pastime. In order to add to the,
interest and danger of this trick he SUBJ
stituted a fork for the sword, and carried
it with him for use when suddenly called
upon to display his expertness. Malone
has fondness for cup that inebriate4,
as well as cheers. and while under th4l
influence of stimulants in country bar:s,
room he gave an exhibition of fork
swallowing. There was not any humbugI
about it this time. It was 8 genuine
case of swallowing. The delusion waS|
SO perfect that the spectators Were
alarmed when the fork passed from
view; no more so, however, than Ma
lone himself, who, when he tried t91
withdraw the fork, found that 1t had
passed out of his reach. After a sharp
but tempestuous journey the fork was
safely anchored in Malone's stomach.|
Malone consulted a physician, and was|
told that there was a chance that the fork
would become encysted in the stomach,
and give him no trouble, and he deters|
mined to await devel p nents. Itwas not
long wait. Inside OF a week he was
shut up Ikea jack-kn1fe most of th8|
time with cramps ard conyulsions. Tnel
abdomen became greatly swollen. Al
most dangerous complications lay IN th9]
fact that the esophagus was the seat OF
sudden and terrific muscular contraction,
during which Malone was liable to di8l
at any moment from suffocation. =
DR.. Carlisle was called in consultation,
advised an operation for the removal ofI
the fork, and the patient was removed t6l
st. Vincent's Hospital. The preliminary
examination revealed q dangerousI
heart trouble. And so we'll defined that
it precluded the use of ether or any
other general anasthetic. This gave the
case hopeless aspect, and but for adj
unexpected development Malone wouldI
have been in his grave to day. The
usual combination of mirrors WAS used t01
defect the light into the patients throat,3
the larger one being held close to hisI
face. The mirror was removed in, lesa|
than minute, and when the doctor
handed it to an assistant he was greatly,
surprised at seeing the patient jump ont|
of bed in a vigorous manner and follow
the glass. Dr. Carlisle had often asS|
sisted Frof. Hammond in his public
exhibitions, and knew what it meant.
The patient was hyphotized and it sugs|
gested to the astute surgeon the possi3|
bility of operating on Malone while i9iI
this state. The patient seemed well andI|
strong, and he was subjected to several
tests. He smacked his lips over q pieceI|
of alum when told that it was sugar. He1
was told that vase was young woman,
and he kissed it with more force than
elegance. It was suggested that a knife
was a candle, and his arm was cut with
out his showing any sign of pain.
shoe was said to be dagger, and he|
stabbed an imaginary enemy 'seyerail|
times in the heart. These and seyeral||
other tests indicated that the hypnoticil
condition was perfect. He came out of
it in about an hour and fell into q natl
ural sleep. ss.|
The operation was performed on ths1
following day-eleven days ago.. HdI
was brought into the hypnotic condition.
by holding mirror close to his eyes foti
about thirty seconds, and was CON-
pletely under the surgeons control
'Now," said DR.. Carlisle to Malone,
"you will have a long dream, full OIL
bliss, happiness and enjoyment. y"
A serene expression spread over thsl
patients face, and after be.ng turned
on his right side an incision was madeI
in the left side, about an inch and Al
half from the costal margin throughths3
abdominal wall. Hooks were; employed
to open the wonnd, and the stomach
was seen to be greatly distended. The
tines of the fork had slreldy com6S
through the stomach and rested upond
the intestines. An opening was made|
into the stomach, using the tines as q
guide, and the fork which had become
covered with a thin membrane wasI
speedily removed. The patient bled
freely and it took long time to pick
up the arteries and to free the abdominal
SPACE from the blood and liquid which,
had escaped from the stomsch. TheI
aperture in the stomach was stitched to
the abdominal wound as precautionary
measure, the condition of the esophagus,
indicating that it might be weeks be-
fore the patient could be fed through
the mouth, and the patient could in
this emergency be fed through the
artificial opening in the side.
During the operation the patient did
not indicate that he felt any pain. His
mind was kept in pleasant mood by the4
suggestions of the surgeon, and when it
was all over the surgeon sad to him that
he seemed to have had good time, and
he replied that he had never enjoyed
himself better. His eyes were wide open
most of the time, and he saw what waS
going on, but the simple suggestion Of
the surgeon rendered him incapable Of
associating pain and injury together and
made pleasure take the place Of agony:
The shock was greater than if ether had
been used, but was finally overcome.
The patient is in fair condition st present.
He is fed regularly through the hole in
his side, as food taken naturally causes q
spasm. This will pass away in time, and
Malone will lie as good as new.
The field opened up by this operation
is unlimited and will now be persistently