The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1905-03-04
THIS MISSISSIPPI MAN
A HUMAN OSTRICH.
JONES COUNTY MAN WITH Pc
CuLlAR. INSIDES-FILLED UP
On MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES
OF HARDWARE-DIED LATE
LY AT MERIDIAN HOSPITAL,

AfS1WARE-DIED LATE
LY AT MERIDIAN HOSPITAL.
MERIDIAN, Miss, Feb. 2s..-physicians
IN Meridian are puzzled over the case n,
young man, 23 years OF ago, who was
sent TO the insane hospital from this CITY
iour years ago from Jones county. He
was the most wonderful specimen OF
glass-eahng and metal consuming man
known to medical history, and DIR. ]. M.
buchanan, superintendent OF the asy-
ium' and other physicians are preparing
papers to be submitted to the various
medical societies 10 which they belong
and which they will attend this spring
and summer.
The patient was 10 years Of age when
he arrived at the institution. About
two or three years ago he began to show
signs OF debility. Last year the physi-
clans at the hospital noticed that he was
eating plaster off the walls, but as this
Is common mania at the institution,
little was thought Of the matter. Later
1t was decided by the physicians that
the man had consumption, and they be-
gan to treat him for 1t. However, as
the man continued to grow less active,
he was taken out OF the kitchen, where
he had been employed for months, and
put in ward. Sunday night he ate
hearty supper and retired to his room at
the hour for locking the patients in. A
short while later he called for water,
and this was carried TO him. The at
tendant on the ward, about half an hour
later, unlocked the door to get the yes-
sci the water was carried to him in, ana
was surprised to find the man dead,
lying on his left side.
Notice was sent to the superintendent
OF the sudden demise of the patient, and
yesterday an autopsy was held for the
purpose Of determining If consump tion
was the immediate cause OF death.
The examination showed to the ply
sicians that the lungs of the dead man,
while not in condition to have justified
the treatment given him, we're certainly
not worthy of being charged with his
immediate death.
DR.. N. r. Gard, one Of the assistants,
and who had personal treatment of the
patient, begged TO be allowed to make
l
further investigation, and upon opening
the stomach the physicians were aston
ished at what they saw. Here is what
they took from the mans stomach:
Six brass wrenches, such as are use d
for water faucets, two inches long and
weighing two ounces each.
Ten brass and iron screws, ranging in
length from one half inch to two inch es.
Eight iron and brass nuts.
Eight iron and brass washers.
Ten pieces of bent wire.
Seventy-five iron and steel nails OF
various sizes and shapes, some Of them
three inches long.
Fifty-three brass pins.
Five keys.
Forty-nine pieces Of tin, doubled oyer
to make more palatable.
One ten-cent piece.
One brass penny.
A glass bottle stopper.
Miscellaneous collection Of glass in
every conceivable shape, some OF the
pieces being more than half-inch
square.
There was also quantity OF powdered
glass, as though the man had chewed 1t
before swallowing, else the metal in
his stomach had operated as grind up
on the glass as 1t would in the gizzard
OF chicken.
In addition, there was found a large
and miscellaneous assortment OF collar
buttons, pants buttons, rocks, pebbles,
broken porcelainware and articles that
could not be determined. Much Of the
iron had been affected by corrosion.
The whole assortment was found en-
cased in quantity Of plaster esmeht'
The articles were washed and boxed
and will be shown by DR.. Buchanan,
with a description of the remarkable
case, at the forthcoming convention OF
the Texas Psychological and Medical
Society. DR.. Card will submit the case
also to t;,c Lauderdale Medical Society,
and DR.. champenois win carry the case
before the Tri.S State Medical Society.
The man never seemed to have suf-
fered any pain because Of his desire to
be champion human ostrich.
The Hardaman Free Press man has
the correct idea of improvements. He
saws, "We hain't got no objection to
these here skyscoopera that air being
put up in the cities. They air in line
with economy. We took drink in
saloon next to skyscooper the other
day, and when we come out and looked
up at that dizzy building we felt like as
If we was drunk. 1t was the cheapest