Year: 1879

nothing for two days, when he ate
little bread and milk. On the third
day he went out to the University hos
pital to consult Dr. Agnew. The physi-
clan examined him, doubling at first
whether he had swallowed the teeth.
Upon being assured that he had he
seemed to have little hope for the
patient. Waggonseller then went to
the house of married sister, on Fair
mount avenue, in order that he might
receive treatment from her own physi-
clan, DIR. Stewart, of No. 1910 Green
street. DIR. Stewart was called upon
to visit the patient on the fifth day
after the occurrence. He advised him
to take q swallow of gin as the readiest
means of dislodging the teeth, which
still remained in the throat. The pa
tient followed his advice, and almost
Immediately felt the teeth going down.
But this only led to a worse result. The
teeth moved down and lodged about
one inch and half above the entrance
to the stomach. Had they passed into
the stomach, according to medical au-
thority, the chief danger in the case
would have been over. But lodging as
they did the patient could swallow
nothing, not even milk or water. 1t
was absolutely impossible to get any
thing down his throat. Milk was rec
commended, but when it would be
poured down as soon as the glass would
be removed from his lips it would come
back, exuding from ears, eyes, mouth
and nostrils. The strangest of all was
what followed. The man lived for
seven weeks without swallowing a
morsel of food or drop of water. Even
the juice of an orange he could not
swallow. From a stout, hearty man,
weighing probably one hundred and
ninety pounds, he dwindled away to a
mere skeleton. His hands became hor-
rible to look at by reason of their loss
of flesh. Strangely enough, too, all
this time the man, who was perfectly
conscious and rational, had no appe-
tite, no craving for food. The smell of
victuals, he said, made him sick. From
the time he went to his sisters house,
! four days after the accident, he had not
stood on his feet, lying alternately on
he'd and in an invalid'S chair This
posture he kept, at the recommends
| ton of his physician, until from lack of
! food he became so weakened that there
was no option in the matter, and he had
! to lie all the time. Operation with an
instrument was suggested by his physi-
clan, but this his sister would not con-
sent to, unless assurance could be
given that it would result in saving his
! life. This, of course, the physician
could not promise, and no such opera
ton was tried. After being for over
seven weeks without food Waggenseller
died, death resulting from inanition, or,
in other words, starvation. To the
very last he had no appetite for food.
The day before his death he began to
get short of breath and told his rela-
the last hour he retained his senses and
talked freely about his case, instructing
his relatives to have post-mortem eX-
animation made upon his body. In ac-
cordance with his request the examina-
ton was made by Drs. Stewart and
Agnew. The plate, with the teeth in
it, was found about one inch and hall
above the entrance of the stomach, the
hooks firmly imbedded in the flesh.
There were marks at certain intervals
in the throat, showing the progress OF
the plate as it passed downward, the
prints of the teeth being in several
places plainly visible. Had the plate,
which was about two inches long and
San inch wide, passed into the stomach,
in the opinion of the physicians il
would have dissolved and the mans
life been saved. AS it was, the plate
passed down the throat in transverse
form and once lodged at the farthest
point displacement was impossible
Philadelphia Times.