Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28
STOMACH TURNED PLATE CHEST
Operation Performed on Partisan Who
Had Swallowed Spoons.

Paris Correspondence London Telegraph
Years ago the case of the 'homme la
fourchette"-of the man who had sWai-
lowed a fork-created no little sensation in
France and other countries. 1t has, now
ever been surpassed to a very considerable
extent by the wonderful report which DR..
Monnier, surgeon at the st. Joseph HOS
pital, has just made to the Academy OF
Medicine. His patients capacity for con-
verting his stomach into very good iml-
taton of a plato chest has not only beaten
every record in that peculiar line, but ID
calculated to hold it's place in history until
the end of time This is the story which
the worthy physician related to his amazed
colleagues: On May 10 young man from
the country, who complained OF severe
pains in his interior, was admitted to the
hospital in question. He was twenty-one
years of age, but appeared much younger.
the more so as he was not particularly
bright or intelligent. The case puzzled the
doctors for some time, but on June one
tents stomach, and 1t was decided that
an operation should be made by DIR. Mon
nier. with a view to Its extraction, ana II
came of on the 18th Of that month.
Hospital. An incision having been effected.
the operator first Of all fshed out couple
of teaspoons. which were as black as ink
This, as might have been imagined, ought
to have been enough, but he soon discov-
cred that his task was by no means over.
Another dive, and six more teaspoons were
dragged out, one after the other. making In
all q very respectable collection OF eight.
But still the work was not at an end. There
followed, in fact, in gradual succession,
the two halves of a broken three-pronged
fork, the handle of another, two bits OF
metal, one of which was very sharp, nail,
a needle. the handle and then the BLADE
of knife, key, a portion of a comb, and,
to complete the long and bewildering in
ventory, several small pieces OF iron. The
total weight Of this marvellous cargo in
human stomach amounted to go grams. or
about half a ound. DR.. Monnier, who had
brought the different articles with him for
the purpose, exhibited them to the aston
ished gaze of the members of the Acad-
envy of Medicine, who, as may well be
believed, could not refrain from exclama-
lions of amazement. The successful opera
his patient was getting on wonderfully
we'll.
Why he had swallowed all these extra
ordinary things? the man endowed with
stomach which might even make an ostrich
Jealous had been asked and then he had
related that being unhappy at home he
had resolved on putting an end to his days.
After having swallowed a teaspoon with
out any effect he had repeated the dose,
and had continued 1t at intervals until he
had lost all reckoning not only OF dates,
but of the various articles which he was
carrying about with him all the time.
After this 1t was scarcely necessary for the
worthy physician to review other cases Of
a similar but far more modest character,
with the object of demonstrating that his
patient had beaten the record hollow. He
explained the process which he had en-
ployed and described the pincers which he
had used for the extrication of all the
metal. Marvellous to relate there had not
appeared to be any liberation anywhere.
NM Liable and Monod have been request
ed by the academy to enter ina thorough
examination of DR.. Monnier's truly re-
markable report.