The evening times., 1900-03-17
THE HUMAN OSTRICH ILL
Arthur Shut Operated on in a Bal
timOre Hospital.
A Dog Chain. Knives. Nails, Broken
Glass. TackS, screws. and Spoons
Removed From His Stomach-The
Details OF an Interesting and EX-
tr"ordinary Freak Patients Case.

BALTIMORE, Nd, March 17.-Prof
William S. Halsted. of the Johns Hopkins
University and Hospital, yesterday per
formed one OF the strangest operations on
record. He cut into the abdomen of a man
and removed some Of the most remarkable
objects ever taken from a human stomach.
These included knives. forks. nails. tac1s.
watch chains. dog chaius glasses, knife
handles. and similar things.
Arthur Shut who said he was by pro
/ fession" a human ostrich" and man with
cast-iron stomach" was the subject Of
the operation. He was admitted 10 the
hospital on Tuesday. He complained Of a
gripping pain in his stomach lie told the
physician who examined him that he never
had any severe diseases. but had when a
child suffered with the common ailments,
measles. whooping cough. and malaria.
Last year he had a two-months' attack q
rheumatism in his knees and hips which
kept him in bed. His appetite had not
been as good as il should be of late. He
said he W's a fairly regular drinlor Of
some
When questioned further by the hospital
physician he confessed that he had been
in the habit OF chewing such heavr arti-
! Cles Of diet as tacks. nails. glass. and
similar odds and ends but professej never
TO have swallowed them before last sat
urday.
Last Saturday he met a number OF stu
dents, so he said, and boasted 70 them Of
his ability to chew glass and swallow ten
penny nails. IFe was with them from Z
O'Clock in the evening until o'clock I'm the
morning OF sunday. He swallowed the
broken pieces OF an entire beer glass and
a quarter Of a pound Of tenpenny nails.
and box OF No. IA tacks before his spec
tators. He said he did not intend 10 swal-
low them. but merely chew them. His au-
sience however. jeered him so that he
swallowed all OF them
About o'clock sunday morning he was
seized with q sharp pain and almost im-
mediatoly vomited up a Quantity Of dsrh.
reddish fluid. There were no signs. how
ever Of the glass and nails. All day sun
day he experienced great pain sometimes
getting worse. al times improving. lie
was then sent 10 the Johns Hopkins Hos
piral. where. according 10 the symptoms.
his case was Immediately diagnosed 80
foreign bodies In the stomach.
shortly before Shut vas put under The
aaaesthctic ne complained OF a severe
pain. which he described as something
like a saw working it's way down my ai-
ges,ive tract" He was theu given eJher
I 10y Two Of the hospital physicians and
/ placed carefully upon the operating table
DR. Halsted made quick incision aiJh
/ his operating knife into the skin ana mUs-
! cles. .s. .4,
Several assistants. dressed in aseplic
clothing with white caps and white slip
pers. and rubber gloves. all Of which had
/ been stcrilized in boiling water. handed
Prof Halsted lhe S. srilized instruments
lie was likewise dressed in pure whit"
duck suit and cap and wore rubber gloves
After the skin and muscles were laid
back. Dr HalsJed cut into the stomach and
exposed its contents. The first thing ,a-
ken out was a dog chain nearly five yards
long. then several knife blades. q pearl
knife handle a common Va,rn chain
screws. tacks. nails Of all sizes. spoons
pieces OF glass. buttOnhOoks wire Nee
dies. and objects that would make "a goat
turn green with envy,
The stomach was then cieansed uut with
a warm steriljzcd salt solution The TWO
flaps Of the stomach were brought together
and sewed mp with catgut strings. Iu Ike
manner the muscles and skin were se"ed
together.
The operation. which was Of a most deli
! cate nature and required great skill. con-
/ sumed two hours and a half and ia that
period the patient did not lose pint Cf
blood. Loss of blood was prevented iu
pr. Hal~itd's operation by peculiar f1rCeps
| Of all sizes. which are clawpel on tie
blood vessels as soon as they are sepa-
rated.
After the wound was sewed up the pa
tienr was lifted and bandage was passed
around his body. covering his wound. over
which LAYERS Of iodOfOrm and silver foil
were placed This is TO prevent bacteria
I from getting into the wound and setting
/ up iufammatiOus which might lead 10 a
| fatal issue.
A physician in speaking about operations
tor the removal Of foreign bodies from the
stomach. said.
The kinds and number OF foreign bodie-
which have been swallowed accidentally
OF for exhibitional or suicidal purposes is
enormous. The belly of a galley-slave was
Cnce opened. and 6fty-two articles. barrel
hoop nineteen inches long pieces Of pipe.
buckles. and nuts we're found in him. In
another case a pair of suspenders. mass
Of straw. and three rolls of baudages were
taken out of the stomach OF a man. A
| French woman with suicidal intent recent
IL swallowed a large fork with four pro lgs
and 10 was taken out four years later. 4
case which was especially remarkable was
thar Of q young girl I'm convent. who suf-
fered from hySteria. She swallowed va
rlety OF medals and. upon being given an
emetic. vomited up a cross four inches
long When this was taken from her
mouth an enormous rosary, ten feet long.
and having seven medals attached 10 iJ.
came out with it.
Fear Of robbery has often led to the
swallowing Of money and jewel.y Dr.
Nailliant. celebrated physician. was pur-
sued by Tuuis pirates in Algiers and swal-
lowed fifteen gold medals all OF which he
/ afterward recovered.
False teeth are often swallov ed. Tooth
{ brushes. spoons. seeds, and many other
/ small articles Frequently get into the
/ stomach. but possibly the rost interesting
| cases are those relative 20 living animals.
such as insects. FISH. All reptiles. but in
/ most instances these are not authentic.
/ Cases are recorded where beetles. young
/ chickens, mice, leeches. eels. and snails
/ are claimed 20 have been swallowed and
/ vomiJed mp alive. one ease is on record
/ of a living caterpillar being swallowed"