Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-10-04
HOSPITAL RELICS.
Odd Things to Re Seen Ia Great
London Establishment.


London Establishment.
If the reader can Imagine the cure of
every one of the 100000 to 6,0O0,o0O
persons living in London OF some all
nlent or disease he holds in his minds
eye astrue picture of the vast work
done by Guys hospital since Its founda-
ton The south sea bubble, like many
another financial catastrophe, ruined
thousands of citizens, but it enabled
Thomas Guy, who sold his investments
in the stock to the great advantage of
other people as well as himself to
found the institution which bears his
name and to restore to health down to
the present time) over 100000 human
beings.
Among. the many curiosities exhibit
ed in the famous museum at Guys is
large. piece of cardboard bearing the
remnants of thirty-tive pocketkniyes.
which We're swallowed by an American
sailor His name was John Cummings.
and he was admitted to the hospital in
1922 "A small book, containing also
The. manuscript of the printed copy,
larrates tbs particulars of this remark
able case. and it may be perused by
the privileged visitor to Guys.
1t appears that Cummings during a
spree ashore challenged the feats of a
conjuror who had made a pretense' Of
swallowing knives. Encouraged by his
drunken comrades, the sailor actually
swallowed an opened pocketknife. to
the amazement of the conjuror. Feel
ing no immediate pain, he put five other
knives out of sight in the same way.
lii two years time he had, in the course
of his drunken bouts. shown sufficient
bravadUf to enlarge his internal ar
mory by twenty additional Knives.
Wbeh, after-his foolishness had brought
hA to the hospital and subsequently,
to his grave. a postmoftem examination
was. 41ntdes the thirty-fiye knives We're
removed from his stomach by the amaZ-
ed surgeons.
These interesting relics are exhibited
among others in the surgical classroom,
whittier the students return from the
dissecting reomfto correct their impress
sions. Close by is another interesting
object, a glass case containing a num-
Der of what appear to be illuminated
parchments. The grewsome nature of
these exhibits grows upon the visitor
when heA learns that they are simply
patches of, tattooed human skin pre-
served in spirits. The inscription upon
each enables one to trace the occupa-
ton and character of the unfortunate
patient from whom it was taken. One
was a colored sailor, a native Of Afri-
ca On some twelve square inches of his
skin is worked an artistic representa-
ton Of the most brilliant plumaged
birds known i'll the tropics.
II Guys anatomical wax models are
said to be the finest in the world. One
Sof these is extremely valuable, the hos
pital authorities having refused the
sum of $4,000 offered for it by for
!eign lnedical celebrity. II is an alb
solutely perfect model of the upper ex-
tremity of the body, showing every
muscle, gland, vein, nerve and artery.
1t took Joseph Towne,7 clever DEM
onstrator at Guys, fully two years to
make it. but with him in 1879 also died
the secret of the process by which the
wonderful construction of the human
body vas reproduced in wax with such
mafysfSds fidelity London Standard.