New-York tribune., 1891-04-25
ne CORKED UP ONE LUNG.
PECULIAR ACCIDENT TO A MINISTER.
vrv. DIR. boutwell, DREW THE oBsTRUC
rroN INTO HIS wINDPIPE'wHILB

LAUGHING.
The Rev. DR.. George w. Boutwell,. the new
~ the Congregational Church of the Cove
p, IN T,rooklyn, has had a remarkable experience
S,ttine a small cork in his windpipe and he
4, some danger Of dying from the ef-
ss.,s nf it. On Saturday afternoon DR..
'.h,rsu. while at his home, No. 9s2 A
-, Ct took cork from bottle TO give some
.s;.ine p-i 10 one Of his children. He held 1t in
y. 10Th and in laughing at the pranSs of another
I,ua the cork slipped into his throat and was
lawn down into the windplpe and on into one
:, .hs bronchial tubes. 1t nearly suffocated him,
va violent fit Of coughing failed TO release it,
n Bothwen went to his physician, and two
Ia, doctors were consulted but they could not
V'.,b the cork They managed, however TO re-
,,.,. the suffering so that DR.. BothweH preached
- on Sunday But it caused him renewed
sSor,tv ON Monday, and the following day
thor consultation of physicians was held, and
SOS decided that the cork was in the left
s..n.hus. Mechanical means were resorted to to
..,..se IL. and DR.. Boutwell, was placed over a
..rnort and pounded on the back, and he coughed
I'll no was nearly black in the face, but could
NOT remove the obstacle
Heroic measures were then resorted to, and on
-Aursday DR.. Boutwell, was taken to the Brook
len Hospital, and Dr. John ID. Rushmore, the
rsllknown surgeon. performed the operation Of
,scbeotomy The windpipe was opened, and
.,ohed with all the available instruments known
- Surgeons but the cork could not be reached
The operation was prolonged two hours, but the
obvsicians present, including many of the hos
njtal staff were compelled to admit that the case
was beyond their skill. and that the cork could
not be reached without laying open the lung,
which would prove fatal.
DR. Boutwell,. who is six feet two inches in
bs;oht. and broad-shouldered and sturdy man.
came out from the etherizatiOn all right and
EXPRESSED himself as resigned TO Gods will. He
has since remained at the hospital. and suffers
srom violent paroXysms of coughing at intervals.
Dr.. Boutwell, is about forty-eight years old. He
recently went TO Brooklyn from Oakland, CAL
At one time he was president of the Straight Uni
verity in New-Orleans college for colored
students He has been successful in his work in
BROOKLYN and efforts are being made to erect
a new and large edifice for his congregation,
which now worships in Classon-ave, near Park
Place.
DrW. H. Biggam, Of St. Mark Save, the family
physician Of Dr. Boutwell,, said last evening that
his patient was doing well, and he did not appre-
hend fatal result, even if the cork
was not removed. Another, physician, In
discussing the case, said: " The introduction
Of SO large O foreign substance into the trachea
is unusual. and the large size of DR.. Boutwell,
may explain why his bronchial tubes are of suf-
fcient size to let even small cork pass SO far
down that it cannot be reached. As it is, the
lork is probably lodged at the branching of the
brOnchus. and it effectually stops the use of
the left lung for breathing. Any foreign sub
stance in the lungs is apt 10 produce inflammation,
but the cork may encyst itself and prove harm
less save in depriving the patient of the use of
one lung. The case is one exciting much interest
in medical circles