Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-07
THE CORK KILLED HIM.

DIR. Boutwell, Dead After Severe suffer-
ing--Medical skill Could Not Cope With
This simple Little CorlS--A Remarkable
Case.
BROOKLYN, May 3.-The little cork in
the Rev. George Bothwells lung killed
him tonight The preacher died at the
Brooklyn City Hospital, where he had
been under treatment since April 18th.
When the end came there were at his
bedside his wife, whom he recognized Just
before his death; the Rev. Dir. Storrs, an
old friend Of the family; Miss Alexander
and Miss Collins, two private nurses and
Ambulance surgeon Young.
All day long it had seemed as il the end
would be hut the matter OF few moments
at the most, and life was only maintained
by the frequent administration of stimu-
lants. hypohermic injection of Spartein
ether, brandy and Naturalization of oxygen.
His pulse during the morning ran up to
$50, and finally became so rapid it was I'M
possible to count it. AT nightfall it was SO
feeble as to be scarcely felt.
At O'Clock the physician thought him
dead, but lie rallied again.
This in one of the most celebrated cases
in the history of medical science. The
way it came about was this One of tho
DOCTORS children was ill and he picked il
up on his knee to give it medicine. 1t took
medicine from his hand quicker than from
the mothers. The medicine was one q
the patent decoctions got up for children's
complaints, and 1t is very widely adyer
| tised. He held the cork between his teetl
while he dropped the medicine in a spoon
He was about to give it to the chile
when his 3-year-old child came running
up crying Papa, give me some" This
reminded him of the expression, "Chil
dren cry for it," in many advertisements
He started to laugh and took deel
i ~ ett hot
his teeth and down his throat His efforts
to extricate it with his finger resulted
| in his pushing it further down. AS wa
said, the accident was regarded as on
that would only cause passing inconveni
ence.
The doctor himself laughed about il
when he got over the coughing fit that FOL
low the lodging of the cork at the entrance
of the left bronchial tube. He saw ludi
crous side to it. He paid practically no at
tention to it for two days. He preached ;
sermon the following morning, Sunday
/ and another on Sunday evening.
1t was Monday afternoon that he real
lied that it was matter that required at
tention, and he visited DIR. Rushmore TIL
doctor did not think it was serious mat
ter at first As is customary in all cases
the simplest methods to get rid of foreigi
substances in the thoat and nearby organ
were resorted to. When heroic measure
were adopted they came too late.
An attempt was made to dislodge thu
cork by using long silver tube with
screw in the end. The cork was reached
with this on Wednesday last. but coult
not be dislodged. Then an attempt wa
made to cut into the lung from the back
The patient failed quickly, and his dealt
followed.
About o'clock this morning DIR. Rush
more arrived at the hospital ana fount
his patient unconscious and slowly sink
| ing. The Rev. DIR. w. ID. f. Slows hat
remained near his bedside untila late hou
together with Mrs. Boutwell,.
New YoRK, May AIN the autopsy b!
| which the fatal cork was at last removed
| from the lung of the Rev DIR. George W
Boutwell, this afternoon Dr. Rushmor
made some interesting discoveries. ii
found that the minister had died of sup
| purated bronchial pneumonia, caused b,
the closure of the middle division of th
left bronchia. The cork was found lynn
in the lower bifurcation of the lett bron
CHA with the wide end up. The cork. wa
half an inch in diameter and sevcl-gight
of an inch long.
The lower end of the cork was hflktl
one-quart"r o. its oifeumfgr ace, wk,f
the corkstrew we3 in ana failed 10 mold
The upper end ui he CORK was also broken
probably because he swallowed it. TIL
lining membrane of the bronchial wa
found TO be all decomposed. Below til
lower end OF the cork the membrane wa
very much congested.