DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0407
ANIMALS, &C. IN THE HUMAN STOMACH.
365
On the 22nd of March, one of the king’s surgeons car-
ried all these different substances in a box to Newmarket,
to shew them to the king: the result of this examina-
tion was, that several women suspected of being witches
were thrown into prison. At any rate, says a French
writer, those who advised this measure were no conju-
rors ; and it was fortunate for the women of England that
the galley-slave of Brest (an account of whom is sub-
joined) died in this country, and not in theirs, for the
fact is still more surprising than the preceding.
A slave belonging to the galley at Brest, named Andre
Bazile, a native of Nantes, went into the naval hospital
the 5th of September 1774. He complained of a cough,
of pains in his stomach, and cholic, for which the phy-
sician Courcelles, who attended during that quarter, ad-
ministered medicines which seemed to relieve him. He
was still there on the first of October, when Fournier,
another physician of the hospital, entered on his quar-
ter. He complained of vomitings, which greatly ex-
hausted him, and of pains in his stomach. Being una-
ble to draw from him, any circumstances tending to ex-
plain the cause of his malady, the physician adminis-
tered such medicines as be judged suitable for his case.
On the 10th of the same month he died, and Fournier sus-
pecting some internal derangement, desired that he might
be opened. This operation was performed the following
day. The stomach was found to be greatly distended,
and in it were felt several hard substances. Fournier
considering this observation worthy the attention of his
colleagues, suspended the operation till the afternoon.—
However, as the body was opened, he wished to follow
the wind-pipe throughout its whole length, and to come
at it, he removed the heart and the lungs to the opposite
side. As this was not done with sufficient precaution, it
occasioned a rupture of the wind-pipe, about the middle,
365
On the 22nd of March, one of the king’s surgeons car-
ried all these different substances in a box to Newmarket,
to shew them to the king: the result of this examina-
tion was, that several women suspected of being witches
were thrown into prison. At any rate, says a French
writer, those who advised this measure were no conju-
rors ; and it was fortunate for the women of England that
the galley-slave of Brest (an account of whom is sub-
joined) died in this country, and not in theirs, for the
fact is still more surprising than the preceding.
A slave belonging to the galley at Brest, named Andre
Bazile, a native of Nantes, went into the naval hospital
the 5th of September 1774. He complained of a cough,
of pains in his stomach, and cholic, for which the phy-
sician Courcelles, who attended during that quarter, ad-
ministered medicines which seemed to relieve him. He
was still there on the first of October, when Fournier,
another physician of the hospital, entered on his quar-
ter. He complained of vomitings, which greatly ex-
hausted him, and of pains in his stomach. Being una-
ble to draw from him, any circumstances tending to ex-
plain the cause of his malady, the physician adminis-
tered such medicines as be judged suitable for his case.
On the 10th of the same month he died, and Fournier sus-
pecting some internal derangement, desired that he might
be opened. This operation was performed the following
day. The stomach was found to be greatly distended,
and in it were felt several hard substances. Fournier
considering this observation worthy the attention of his
colleagues, suspended the operation till the afternoon.—
However, as the body was opened, he wished to follow
the wind-pipe throughout its whole length, and to come
at it, he removed the heart and the lungs to the opposite
side. As this was not done with sufficient precaution, it
occasioned a rupture of the wind-pipe, about the middle,