DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0408
366
ANIMALS, &C. IN THE HUMAN STOMACH.
by which a piece of wood, of a black colour, commencing
at the beginning of that canal, and reaching to the sto-
mach, was exposed to view. Notwithstanding the singula-
rity of this new discovery, Fournier waited the arrival
of his colleagues to gratify his curiosity.
At three in the afternoon, about fifty persons, consist-
ing of physicians, surgeons, pupils, and officers of the
institution had assembled. Having examined the posi-
tion of the parts, they proceeded to open the stomach,
which had the form of an oblong square. The piece of
wood above-mentioned, was first extracted, and proved
to be a piece of hoop, eighteen inches in length, and
one inch in breadth. To the utter astonishment of all
present, fifty-two pieces of various kinds of substances
were found in the stomach. Among these were a knife,
pewter-spoons, pieces of glass, iron and wood, from one to
eight inches in length, nails, pieces of tin, leather, horn,
&c. &c. An inventory of all these substances w7as drawn
up in the presence of the spectators, in which the dimen-
sions of each piece are exactly noted. The wTind-pipe,
the stomach, and all the intestines had become quite
black within; all the substances had contracted the same
appearance, and also an extremely fetid smell, which they
retained after they had been repeatedly washed.
We cannot, says Fournier, who published this obser-
vation, but regret the silence observed by this unfortu-
nate man with regard to the nature of his malady. Had
it been possible to suspect it, I should have endeavoured
to obtain from him some information, capable of throw-
ing some light on such an extraordinary phenomenon.
After his death, I made all imaginable enquiries con-
cerning his character, constitution, and mode of life,
the result of which was as follows :—Being of a melan-
choly disposition, and even somewhat insane, he bad
served thirteen years as a marine, but had been dis-
charged
ANIMALS, &C. IN THE HUMAN STOMACH.
by which a piece of wood, of a black colour, commencing
at the beginning of that canal, and reaching to the sto-
mach, was exposed to view. Notwithstanding the singula-
rity of this new discovery, Fournier waited the arrival
of his colleagues to gratify his curiosity.
At three in the afternoon, about fifty persons, consist-
ing of physicians, surgeons, pupils, and officers of the
institution had assembled. Having examined the posi-
tion of the parts, they proceeded to open the stomach,
which had the form of an oblong square. The piece of
wood above-mentioned, was first extracted, and proved
to be a piece of hoop, eighteen inches in length, and
one inch in breadth. To the utter astonishment of all
present, fifty-two pieces of various kinds of substances
were found in the stomach. Among these were a knife,
pewter-spoons, pieces of glass, iron and wood, from one to
eight inches in length, nails, pieces of tin, leather, horn,
&c. &c. An inventory of all these substances w7as drawn
up in the presence of the spectators, in which the dimen-
sions of each piece are exactly noted. The wTind-pipe,
the stomach, and all the intestines had become quite
black within; all the substances had contracted the same
appearance, and also an extremely fetid smell, which they
retained after they had been repeatedly washed.
We cannot, says Fournier, who published this obser-
vation, but regret the silence observed by this unfortu-
nate man with regard to the nature of his malady. Had
it been possible to suspect it, I should have endeavoured
to obtain from him some information, capable of throw-
ing some light on such an extraordinary phenomenon.
After his death, I made all imaginable enquiries con-
cerning his character, constitution, and mode of life,
the result of which was as follows :—Being of a melan-
choly disposition, and even somewhat insane, he bad
served thirteen years as a marine, but had been dis-
charged