The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-06-23
PIN THROUGH BODY
Removed From Calf of Man At.
ter Nine Years. Wandering.
Californian Who Swallowed Tiny
Piece Of Steel Thought He Was
Suffering From Liver Trouble,
Rheumatism and Tuberculosis.

Los Angeles, Cal.-The wanderings
of Ulysses seem as nothing when COM
pared with those OF black-headed
steel pin which for nine years travelled
erratically through the body Of Fran
CHS McMann, constantly keeping his
life in jeopardy. and which was re-
moved from the calf of his left leg at
the county hospital.
McMann, who is thirty-two years
old, a native of Philadelphia, for some
time thought he was bewitched by the
vagaries of the pin.
Nearly nine years ago, while In the
Quaker city, he was asked to pin the
back of dress for his four-year-old
niece. He was handed several black
headed pins for the purpose. AS no
was not an expert at the task Nc
Mann put the pins in his mouth for
safekeeptng and in his eagerness to
do well swallowed one of them.
More than year after swallowing
the pin he was troubled with sharp
pains In his back and, as poultices and
plaster gave no relief, he consulted a
physician, who told him he had liver
trouble. AS time elapsed the pains be-
came more erratic and McMann decid-
ed that he had rheumatism. Four
years ago he became troubled with a
sharp cough which caused his health
to decline rapidly.
He left Philadelphia and came to
Los Angeles, where he worked for the
Maier Brewing company for few
months. The California air did not
seem to benefit his cough and he ap-
piled for admission to the county hos
pital. He was diagnosed as tubercu-
lar and admitted to the institution.
Three years ago an X-ray was applied
to test the condition OF his lungs. The
examination disclosed that the pin,
which McMann readily remembered to
have swallowed, was lodged in his left
lung and was causing serious trouble
with that organ.
1t was found that an operation would
be impossible and treatments were ap-
piled to alter the course of the pin, the
patient being kept continually in re-
Ginning position upon his left side.
About year ago X-ray examina-
tons showed that the pointed little in
truder had altered it's course and was
headed for the patients heart. At one
time it was located within half an inch
of the hearts left ventricle and the
life of McMann was despaired Of
The pin, however, changed Its
schedule" and started in a downward
direction. Its progress was anxiously
watched and the physicians decided
that when the traveller got below the
diaphragm an operation could be per-
formed successfully.
Three months ago it penetrated the
diaphragm and lodged in the muscles
of McMann's back, where the action Of
the muscles forced it rapidly down.
ward. 1t was observed that each day
the pin was becoming farther removed
from the vital organs and the all-im-
portant operation was delayed until
conditions were most favorable.
An examination recently disclosed
the wanderer close to the surface in
the muscles of the calf of the pa
TENTS left leg, whence it had travelled,
closely following the bones Of the
limb. A simple operation was per.
formed and the pin, looking little the
worse for wear, removed