Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-29
CARRIES A PEBBLE IN HIS LEG.
An Armenian Who Risks His Life
Rather Than Doubt His Fathers.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.

FROM the Ihlla0elphla inquirer.
Let 1t be death. l will sacrifice my life
rather than doubt the teachings of my IA
theirs and the wise men of my country"
Such Is the choice or rather the transla-
ton of the choice of H. Papazian. an Ar
menian, who lives at 1902 Germantown ave-
nue.. In his leg he has placed magic pebble
to effect the cure of a disease in another
portion of his body. The wound caused by
the pebble has become a dangerous one and
Papazian has been warned by men skilled
in the art of surgery and medicine that
unless he removes the pebble and submits
to treatment his life is in imminent jeop-
ardy. This he refuses to do
About ten months ago Papazian suffered
from a pain III his nip. According to the
teachings of his country, he secured a peb-
bic and making an inciSon in the fieshy
part of his leg, inserted the stone, which is
about the size of small marble. Over this
was placed a leaf, supposed to possess heal
ing virtues and held on by a tight bandage.
The pebble did the work it was intended
to do-eXcited suppuration, but failed to
relieve the pain in the hip. Stin the Arme-
MAN kept the stone in place, although
daily the wound took a more serious
aspect. 1t eventually reached such stage
of liberation and Inflammation and caused
so much pain that he decided to visit a
physician.
Some days ago he called upon DR.. r. B.
Scott, 18th and Poplar streets. The first
thing the doctor did was to order the re-
moVal of the pain-producing pebble, but
PapaZian, while he willing to take it
out temporarily, insisted upon putting it
back. The wound was cieansed and anti
st pticaIly treated by DIR. Scott and the
stone replaced by the Armenian.
a few days later he was taken to Jeffer-
son Hospital and examined by DR.. Orville
Horwitz and DR.. j. c. Da Costa The poi
son from the self-infiicted wound had
SSpd the glands of rba NJ Loo.
it was only the course of nature for il to
continue until his whole system was poi
soned with death-a horrible. excruciating
death-the only result. Again the serious
condition of affairs and the torture that
must follow when his system became i'm
pregnated with the poison was explained to
the man, but his faith in the teachings of
his countrymen was mistaken. He was WILL
ing to become martyr to his belief and
the belief of his ancestors.
The idea Of the placing of foreign sub
stances in the body some distance from an
afflicted part is old one, the Counter
irritart" used in the present day surgery
having its derivation in the old custom
The seton, an artificiaily produced cham
mel through which some substance, as
thread. is passed to excite. Suppuration and
keep artiticially formed openings patent is
used sometimes in surgery. An old custom
in Central Asia and in some portions in use
at the present day which follows the same
principle, is to insert a hair into the heels
of prisoners which lanes them to such an
extent as to prevent their escape.
But the stone which Papazia inserted in
his leg was not put there alone as thread
would have been for the purpose of causing
counter-trritant; it had greater mean
ing on which the Armenian placed his faith
at the risk of his life. According to the
superstitious customs pieces of wood
taken from scaffold on which a man who
had performed certain feats in his life has
been hanged have been used for the same
purpose. Pebbles, such as Papazian used
and alleged to possess certain virtues are
said by an Armenian to be obtained from
an Italian in the southern section of the
city, though what those virtues are and
why the stone Possesses them he did not
state. In his opinion Papazian secured
the stone which in all probability will cause
his death from this source