St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-08-06

Mrs. Lumbra of Montgomery Cough
ed up a Blg CraD

MIS-. AuJnDra OF Montgomery Cough
ed up n tSlg CraD
Mrs. Ephraim Lumbra of Mont
gomery has achieved no end of no
toriety from the fact that within her
stomach, for possibly a period of
eight years, she has, unknown to
herself, harbored a specimen of
the genus crustacea. Much interest
has been aroused in the peculiar
case of Mrs. Lumbra, who recently,
during a fit of coughing, expelled
from her throat a perfectly develop
ed animal classed by pIscatorialists
as of the order of Decapoda, which,
in the opinion Of several physicians,
had been in the woman's stomach
about eight years. Mrs. Lumbra
had been suffering for some time
with what the physicians diagnosed
as a stomach trouble. She suffered
several acute attacks of intense pain
and these pains were particularly
noticeable after she had eaten of
onions. She is very fond of the veg
etable, however, and one evening
recently said to her husband that
she intended to satisfy her appetite
for this vegetable regardless of
what the effects might be. This
SAlC III ONCC0Co " w dlA1 Sic Su-lOAO0
the anticipated distress. Becoming
nauseated the woman sought relief.
Something choked her and when
she managed to withdraw the OBJ
struction she was Mortified to dis
cover what she supposed was a rep
tile, but which the doctors say was
of the order of crab closely resenlb-
ling BrachyuTa. The specimen was
divided into head, uhorax and abdo-
men, consolidated into what scien-
lists term a cephalothoraX. The an
tennae was completely developed
and the animal presented a hideous
appearance. From the fact that the
specimen was of the class of water
breathing crustaceans known as Ar
thropoda it evidently could not have
survived within the human stomach.
The animal measured six inches in
length, and, when disturbed. assum-
ed a defensive attitude. At a re-
cent meeting of the Franklin coun-
ty physicians this peculiar case was
discussed and it was the general
opinion that the animal had probab-
ly been in the woman's stomach
about eight years and that the only
thing that prevented its killing her
when she coughed It up was that it
came tail first. The woman is ap-
parently we'll now. She does not
know when she swallowed the crus-
tacean, not having any recollection
of ever thinking she had swallowed
a foreign substance.
InfantiIe Paralysis at Hardwick
Following the discovery of a case
Of infantile paralysis in the family
Of Horace Gowen in Hardwick, their |
youngest son, Paul, boy about 15 !
years of age being afflicted with |
the disease, Health Officer S. E. Oar
ling, communicated with G. H. Dali |
ton, secretary of the state board of |
health, and as a result DIR. Ladd of |
the state board arrived Wednesday |
to investigate this and 9TH
pr suspicious cases. DR.. Darling had !
already placed the Gowen house in |
strict quarantine, and after investi-
eating other cases showing SUSPECT |
0us symptoms, the home of James |
Lavine, a Spanish family living in |
one of John Babcock's houses on !
Highland avenue, was quarantined, |
4 child about two years of age be- |
ing found to have a mild case. A !
Fifield child about the same age was |
also found to be affected with the |
disease, though not severely. A |
child of Mr.. and Mrs. Cameron, who |
live On the FLOYD Green place at |
Hardwick Center, was visited by DR.. !
Laid and Dr. Darling. but the case |
was pronounced spinal meningitis. |
Paul Gowen has been i'll for about |
a week. He is improving consider !
ably but shows a marked case of |
paralysis.
Laws are EngrOssed