Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-28
ADVENTURES OF A NEEDLE.
Found kerrignn In q Turkish But h
and Stayed for n Month.

From the New York Tribune
Thomas kerrlgan, proprietor of the auc-
ton house in Wiloughby street. Brooklyn,
which has long been the headquarters of
Hugh Mclaughlin. is showing to his friends
at GreenpOrt, l.. L., little cambria needle
This is the story of how MIR. Kerrigan got
possession of the needle as told by the
friends to whom he has shown it. by the
surgeon who cut ii out, and by his son
joe kerrigan, who is fond of Turkish
bath himself.
A week ago, as the story runs, Mr.. Kerri-
gan became conscious of sharp pain in
the side of his abdomen. Examination
showed a small red spot, painful to the
touch. He went to his family physician.
DIR. A. Warner Shepard of No. 12G Will
loughby street, and DIR. Shepard went to
his instrument case. The operation was
entirely successful, for when DR.. Shepard
cut down into the red spot ne found to his
surprise, well Mr.. Kerrigans. a cam
brio needle about one and a half inches
long. DIR. Shepard questioned Mr.. Kerri-
gan, Mr.. Kerrigan's friends say, to how
he got the needle, and where he got it. Mr..
Kerrigan answered that he didn't know,
but that he remembered that just after TAX
ing Turkish bath about month ago he
had felt pain i'm the leg on the same side
as that operated on.
Scratch ON His Leg.
There was a scratch on the calf of the
leg, visible to the naked eye, but Mr.. Ker-
rigan had attached no particular import
ance to it. He had just emerged from the
plunge, in which he had threshed around
considerably. and enjoyed himself. He
might have Iricked his calf in the water.
but he didn't see how. DIR. Shepard seemed
to think, on hearing this. that 1t was al
most certain that Mr.. Kerrigan and the
needle had come in contact I'm the pool.
The needle had happened to enter the Ker-
rigan anatomy point up and month would
be about long enough for 1t to travel from
calf to waist If the needle had gone in
point down 1t would probably have landed
in the Kerrigan heel. All had ended well.
however. and Boss Kerrigan took his
needle and went on mis- way rejoicing.
When asked about the needle Dr. Shepa I'd
seemed a little tOuchy himself. He said he
was Mr.. Kerrigan's doctor. and had re-
moved a needle from his abdominal WALL
He preferred not to give details: Mr.. Kerri-
Greenport with BOSS Mclaughlin yester-
day. His son. Joseph Kerrgan. who In en-
ployed as a trarsit man by the city sur
veyor, knew all about the needle, the opera
correct He said his father was showing
IL at needle around with great glee. He. in
fact. seemed tickled TO think that he had
Teen carrying a bit Of steel in his interior
for weeks without knowing anything about
1t. o., ..
A Parallel Case.
Looking up the case in medical works,
one of Mr.. Kerrigan's friends found an in
teresting parallel recorded in "Bryants
Surgery" that came in the practice of Sir
Ashley Cooper, the famous English surgeon
of the last century. Cooper explains the
travels of needles in the soft tissues be-
cath the skin in this way. He says when
the body is beneath water and especially
a large body of water dixie Turkish bath
plunge), the pressure is so great that the
body is as If under the influence of an
anaesthetic. and such a needle might enter
without being felt more than prcking
nsation. When the needle is thoroughly
embedded beneath the skin, there is
wound at its base, on the end with the eye.
At the other end where the point is. there
is no wound. but the wound at the large
end heals the healing process forces the
Eeedle on, point up. So there is a contin-
uous progression of wOunding and healing.
always in the direction of the needle point.
Cooper says 1t is a simple trouble to relieve,
as the operation of extraction is but minor
one. but that If not discovered the needles
travels become very dangerous.