The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-08
WONDERFUL SWALLOW
ANEW York Boy Swallows a Their
mometer and Lives,
THRIYES AND RECEIVERS HEALTH
Aner Taking tho Dose---rho Doctors
DIystIlcd, and the Parents Uneasy.
Hc Cannot Engage in Sports for
Fear of breaking the Glass in His
stomach--.Thc Boy in a Dilemma.

NEw York, June 7.-Almost every
thing on earth that is swallowable has
been swallowed, whether it ought to
have been or not. The list OF swallowed
articles includes pins and needles which
careless seamstresses have held in their
mouths; buttons and pennies given to
children as playthings; slate pencils
which school boys and girls have held
between their teeth while at play, and
everybody remembers the sad case Of
the Rev. DR.. Boutwell,, the Brooklyn
clergyman, who swallowed cork which
he had drawn from q medicine vial
with his teeth.
George Martin, tho eighteen-year.old
son of William A. Martin, builder
who lives at No. 4 West One Hundred
and Twonty-second street, has added to
the list the most remarkable OF all
oddly swallowable things. he has
Swallowed q thermometer.
In most of the previous cases the
foreign substances have lodged in the
bronchial tubes, from which they have
been extracted, or where they remained
until, as in DR.. Bothwell's case, death
has resulted after many or few days OF
agony. Master Martin was moro for
tunate than his predecessors in the
swallowing line, In all probability the
Thermometer went into his stomach,
whore It Is supposed still to be. The
accident happened six weeks ago.
George, who Is strapping, big fellow
for his age, standing nearly six feet In
height and possessed Of robust health
ordinarily, became suddenly i'll, and it
was believed that he was threatened
with an attack Of typhoid fever. Physi-
clans were summoned and nurse en-
gagged. One day when Georges fever
was quite high the nurse placed the end
OF the Thermometer beneath his tongue
and told him to compress his lips firmly
around the glass tube, which, being
about three Inches long, projected an
inch or two beyond his lips. The quick
silver was In the section of the tube
which went beneath the tongue.
The nurse busted herself about the
sick room while waiting for the fever
temperature to be recorded, and while
her back was turned the patient was
suddenly seized with violent fit Of
coughing. The nurse came to his side,
patted him on the back, and the cough
Ing ceased. Then the nurse looked
around for the thermometer, but was
unable to findit. 1t had disappeared.
What did you do with the Their
mometer, George?" asked the nurse.
II really think l swallowed it."
answered the sick boy, family, but the
nurse thought it was a sick-bed Jest and
went on searching for 1t. Then the boy
told the nurse that he had felt the
smooth instrument slip down his
throat, into which 1t had been drawn
when the fit Of coughing came on. The
nurse became frightened now, and sent
bnrriedly for Or. Pope, the family ply
stefan. DR.. Pope was frightened, too,
and at once proceeded to make an effort
to recover tho thermometer. The sick
boy was carefully moved to the side Of
the bed, his head and shoulders being
allowed to drop gently downward to the
floor, the nurse holding him By the
shoulders, and the doctor by the feet
He was treated very gently, for 1t was
necessary TO avoid breaking the glass
tube. He was shaken by the heels until
it hurt his head, but there was no sign
OF the thermometer reappearing. Then
gentle emetics were administered, but
the boys stomach rejected everything
except the glass tube.
Here is peculiar feature OF the acci-
dent. The boy had been quite seri-
Dusty i'll, and 1t was feared that the
efforts TO recover the thermometer
would aggravate his condition. But, on
the contrary, the fever disappeared en-
tirely, and he began to recover with
gratifying rapidity. Everybody was
suffering on account OF that thermome-
ter except the boy. Since it glided
down his throat he had not felt 1t. Sew
eral doctors were called in, but they
could do nothing. The boy appeared to
be all right, and although It didn't seem
Just the proper thing to the medical
minds, the thermometer seemed to
agree with the victim, for he became
stronger than ever. Tho boy was kept
confined to the house, and when he be-
gan to pine for fresh air he was allowed
TO return to school, thermometer
and all
Z George Martin is not happy, though.
He is fond OF playing ball, but as 1t is
now he dare not 90 behind the bat lest
foul tip should break that glass tube.
lie cannot play shortstop for fear that,
by bending over to pick up grounder,
he may snap the tube. Under ordinary
circumstances George can throw any
boy In the school, but wrestling is not
to, be thought Of while that glass tube
full Of quicksilver, is waiting to be brok-
On. Then the boys who have heard
about the accident are inclined to be
cruel. On.warm days they ask OF George:
us this warm enough for your thermo-
meter?"
George has not felt the thermometer
yet, and is not nearly as much worried
as his parents and the doctors arc. 1t
Is really a serious thing. The glass will
not dissolve and pass off through the
bowels, although there is chance that
II may 20 through the bowels without
being broken. In the latter case it will
cause NO trouble. Meanwhile George is
being dieted until he is disguised, is
mad because athletic sports are forbid
den, the parents are worrying, and the
doctors are looking very wise. Physi-
clans are much interested in the case,
and win watch it for long time to
come. The life Of the boy seems to be
dependent upon tho glass tube not be-
ing broken-a brittle hold OIL life, to be
sure.