The Dickinson press., 1889-06-15
SIZE SWALLOWED A PIN.
PAINFUL RESULTS OF ONE OF WO-
MEMS BAD HABITS.
Dangers of Carrying Pins In the Mouth.
Broken Needles Left Where Crawling
Children Can Pick Them Up-Severai
Serious Cases Related.

Serious Cases Related.
Women have one bad habit at least, which
seems fixed and ineradicable-that of holding
pins and needles in their mouths He who
has even a fair idea Of the inner structure Of
tho body must feel cold chill running down
uis back whenever he sees this habit INDUCED,
for he can appreciate the possible consequence
If one of these bits of brass or steel happens
to pass from under the control of the tongue
and enters the passage to the stomach or the
windpipe
AS rule, when that mishap occurs. the
pin or needle is swallowed, but no small mum
Der Of cases are on record where they have
passed into the windpipe and eventually fallen
to the bronchial tubes Such an accident as
that is. Of course, always very serious, and
doubly so if its occurrence is not Immediately
recognized, and the means of relief applied
without delay One would naturally suppose
that severe symptoms must at once be excited
when Il foreign body passes into the wind
pipe. Such is not the case, however Often
the immediate distress caused is comparative
ly trlfing, and soon largely if not entirely
disappears. The period Of relief is usually
not long, for the pin or needle. or whatever
1t is, sets up more or less irritation, of which
cough, etc, give evidence. While the same
lies loosely i'll the air passage its removal by
the mouth is often possible. But when in
beddei in the tissues such operation does not
promise well, and it is frequently necessary
TO open the windpipe-in other words to per
form tracheotomy-and even then success is
by no means always assured.
Probably where pins are swallowed, in the
majority of cases they make their way tof
the system through the intestinal canal. But
that is rarely the case, if not exceptional,
where needles are swallowed. The instances
on record where needles and pins have been
swallowed, and years after have made their
way through the different tissues to the sur
face of the body. and to the most unlikely
parts of it, are almost numberless Some
recently reported have unusual interest. One
case occurred i'll the practice of DR. kunc
The patient, 20 years old, had been suffering
for many weeks from pain in he region of
the heart, attended with violent papitatlon
upon making any considerab ble exertion Not
n moment passed, unless he was asleep that
lie was not tornentcd with an indescrihably
oppressed feeling about the chest. In making
an examination of the chest after the cloth
ing had been removed the doctor discovered
a small hardened elevation over the heart
1t was not visible when looking at tho chest,
but it could readily be felt with tho finger or
the fiat surface Of the hand pressed gently
upon it and moved upward and downward
A small incsion was made over the point in
question and through that was drawn out an
ordinary sewing needle an inch and one-haf
in length.
All the unpleasant symptoms very soon
subsidized and i'll a week or two tho patient
was well. The doctor assumed that, from
the location of the needle and the attending
symptoms, it had been for time in the very
substance of the heart In another instance
girl II years old visited a physician and in
formed him that she thought there was a
needle i'll her arm, for she was sure she felt it.
She described its postion-one end just un
der the skin and the other deep in tine muscles
near the bone She said she had never run
needle into her arm or in any other part of
her body. Considering that, the case to tho
doctor seemed one of vivid Imagination He,
however, made a careful examination, and at
last became satisfied that there was some for
eiGn body III the arm, and, more than prob,
ably, such Il one as the girl suspected. After
making an incision he took out a needle two
inches long. The point was broken Off and
the whole needle incosed in capsule. 1t
proved that it lay as the girl had described.
and one end-the polnt-was near the bone
Subsequently the mother Of the patient testi
fled that when her child was 5 years old she
swallowed Il needle The samo evidently
passed down between the muscles of the neck
and the shoulder and down the arm 1t lay
in about the middle of it when removed.
BABIES AND BROKEN NEEDLES.
The physician in this case reports two
others Of equal interest, one that of man
who had II needle journeying around his body
for seven years. One day, in taking his coat
OFF, he felt IL sharp pain in his arm. On max
ing an examination he found that at last the
needle had come to the surface aud protrud
ing through tho skin of his arm. had caught
i'll the lining of his coat sleeve, The other
case vas of no less interest. 1t was that of u
young woman Is years of age One day.
while taking a dancing lesson and waltzing,
shc was suddenly attacked with a most ex-
cruclatng pain in the lower part of tho alb
domen on one side. She at once became un
conscious, and her appearance was such us to
terrify all around her
AS soon as she could be removed to her
home u physician was called After an cx-
animation he was convinced that under the
place where she felt the pain there was some
foreign body He eventually operated and
drew out of the abdomen portion of nee
case the patient had no knowledge of ever
having swallowed anything like pin or
needle, and was positive no needle had ever
entered any part Of her body But in all
probability the one removed had been swal
lowed years before In this connection it is
well to speak of another bad habit which
many women have, that Of leaving pieces OF
needles lying around A needle breaks, and
the work table or the window sill being nearer
at hand than the stove, the pieces are put
there, the intention being, Of course, to re-
move them later and so dispose of them that
they can do no harm. But such good inten-
tions are not always carried out, and often
the dangerous fragments fall upon the floor.
Once there it is generally long time be-
fore they are picked up. for they are scarcely
disturbed by an ordinary sweeping Babies
drawing themselves over the locr doubtless
often furnish resting place for them. One
physician tells of baby fat and healthy,
which suddenly. while sliding across the
floor, took on q sudden tit of crying and for
several days cried and frettel The mother,
one of the none too patient SORT administered
frequent spankings. but finally. as that treat
fn-nt proved notifications, she called in doc
ter and he removed full No needle from
TIE very point which the mother had been
vigorously applying her hand to a broken
ncedie in the foot or hand is generally all
| ugly affair, as every one who has experienced
tile misfortune can testify Such cases sur
gsons are anything but partial to, for the
r:moval is rarely, if ever easy, and as q
''lle take considerable time. Considering,
therefore, how many accidents have oc-
urred from them and how easy lis for them
10 occur, it is to bo hoped that women will
| ~ time learn that pins and needles, while
most useful and seemingly innocent, are yet
capable of doing great deal OF harm These