DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0403
ANIMALS, &C. IN THE HUMAN STOMACH.
361
lows: This young- woman, about eighteen years of age,
had for two years and a half been attacked with a disor-
der of the most extraordinary kind. She fell from time
to time into such horrible convulsions, that three or four
very strong men were required to hold her in bed. These
convulsions were succeeded by a lethargy, which lasted
from six or eight, to twenty hours, during which she
lost the use of all her senses, so that pins might be thrust
into the fleshy parts without causing her any pain. It
was after this lethergy, that she generally vomited the
above mentioned insects. The officer in the course of
his examination brought her to acknowledge, that Tor
seven or eight months she had swallowed secretly, and
in consequence of an extraordinary inclination, caterpil-
lers, spiders, and other insects. For some time she had
even felt a longing to swallow toads, but had never been
able to procure any. She added, that these animals
were larger and stronger when she cast them up, than
when she swallowed them.
A similar phenomenon is recorded in a letter from
Thorn, in Polish Prussia, to Dr. Sachs. At the begin-
ning of the spring of the year 1667, a journeyman
butcher carrying home some meat, was extremely thirsty,
and eagerly drank off some stagnant water that he found
by the way. The same evening he was attacked with pains
in his stomach, which grew worse every day. He took
without effect a variety of medicines that were recom-
mended to him. He at length imagined that he felt i*n
his stomach some strange substances, which moved about
o J
in it, particularly in the morning, and besides this he
was affected with nausea, head-ache, and restlessness,
and frequently swooned away. For six months he was
afflicted in this way, when he was advised to take a dose
of snake’s grease in the morning. This he accordingly
did, and afterwards going out about his business, he had
Eccentric, No. VIII. 3 a scarcely
361
lows: This young- woman, about eighteen years of age,
had for two years and a half been attacked with a disor-
der of the most extraordinary kind. She fell from time
to time into such horrible convulsions, that three or four
very strong men were required to hold her in bed. These
convulsions were succeeded by a lethargy, which lasted
from six or eight, to twenty hours, during which she
lost the use of all her senses, so that pins might be thrust
into the fleshy parts without causing her any pain. It
was after this lethergy, that she generally vomited the
above mentioned insects. The officer in the course of
his examination brought her to acknowledge, that Tor
seven or eight months she had swallowed secretly, and
in consequence of an extraordinary inclination, caterpil-
lers, spiders, and other insects. For some time she had
even felt a longing to swallow toads, but had never been
able to procure any. She added, that these animals
were larger and stronger when she cast them up, than
when she swallowed them.
A similar phenomenon is recorded in a letter from
Thorn, in Polish Prussia, to Dr. Sachs. At the begin-
ning of the spring of the year 1667, a journeyman
butcher carrying home some meat, was extremely thirsty,
and eagerly drank off some stagnant water that he found
by the way. The same evening he was attacked with pains
in his stomach, which grew worse every day. He took
without effect a variety of medicines that were recom-
mended to him. He at length imagined that he felt i*n
his stomach some strange substances, which moved about
o J
in it, particularly in the morning, and besides this he
was affected with nausea, head-ache, and restlessness,
and frequently swooned away. For six months he was
afflicted in this way, when he was advised to take a dose
of snake’s grease in the morning. This he accordingly
did, and afterwards going out about his business, he had
Eccentric, No. VIII. 3 a scarcely