anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第181部分

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inate　artery　during　the　operation。　The　missile　measured　an　inch　at　the　base；　and　was　four　inches　long。　The　health　of　the　patient　underwent　remarkable　improvement　immediately　after　the　operation。

Serious　Insect…stings。Although　in　this　country　the　stings　of　insects　are　seldom　productive　of　serious　consequences；　in　the　tropic　climates　death　not　unfrequently　results　from　them。　Wounds　inflicted　by　large　spiders；　centipedes；　tarantulae；　and　scorpions　have　proved　fatal。　Even　in　our　country　deaths；　preceded　by　gangrene；　have　sometimes　followed　the　bite　of　a　mosquito　or　a　bee；　the　location　of　the　bite　and　the　idiosyncrasy　of　the　individual　probably　influencing　the　fatal　issue。　In　some　cases；　possibly；　some　vegetable　poison　is　introduced　with　the　sting。　Hulse；　U。S。N。；　reports　the　case　of　a　man　who　was　bitten　on　the　penis　by　a　spider；　and　who　subsequently　exhibited　violent　symptoms　simulating　spinal　meningitis；　but　ultimately　recovered。　Kunst　mentions　a　man　of　thirty…six　who　received　several　bee…stings　while　taking　some　honey　from　a　tree；　fell　from　the　tree　unconscious；　and　for　some　time　afterward　exhibited　signs　of　cerebral　congestion。　Chaumeton　mentions　a　young　man　who　did　not　perceive　a　wasp　in　a　glass　of　sweet　wine；　and　swallowed　the　insect。　He　was　stung　in　the　throat；　followed　by　such　intense　inflammation　that　the　man　died　asphyxiated　in　the　presence　of　his　friends；　who　could　do　nothing　to　relieve　him。　In　connection　with　this　case　there　is　mentioned　an　English　agriculturist　who　saved　the　life　of　one　of　his　friends　who　had　inadvertently　swallowed　a　wasp　with　a　glass　of　beer。　Alarming　symptoms　manifested　themselves　at　the　moment　of　the　sting。　The　farmer　made　a　kind　of　paste　from　a　solution　of　common　salt　in　as　little　water　as　possible；　which　he　gave　to　the　young　man；　and；　after　several　swallows　of　the　potion；　the　symptoms　disappeared　as　if　by　enchantment。　There　is　a　recent　account　from　Bridgeport；　Conn。；　of　a　woman　who；　while　eating　a　pear；　swallowed　a　hornet　that　had　alighted　on　the　fruit。　In　going　down　the　throat　the　insect　stung　her　on　the　tonsil。　Great　pain　and　inflammation　followed；　and　in　a　short　time　there　was　complete　deprivation　of　the　power　of　speech。

Mease　relates　the　case　of　a　corpulent　farmer　who；　in　July；　1835；　was　stung　upon　the　temple　by　a　common　bee。　He　walked　to　a　fence　a　short　distance　away；　thence　to　his　house；　20　yards　distant；　lay　down；　and　expired　in　ten　minutes。　A　second　case；　which　occurred　in　June；　1811；　is　also　mentioned　by　Mease。　A　vigorous　man　was　stung　in　the　septum　of　the　nose　by　a　bee。　Supported　by　a　friend　he　walked　to　his　house；　a　few　steps　distant；　and　lay　down。　He　rose　immediately　to　go　to　the　well；　stepped　a　few　paces；　fell；　and　expired。　It　was　thirty　minutes　from　the　time　of　the　accident　to　the　man's　death。　A　third　case　is　reported　by　the　same　author　from　Kentucky。　A　man　of　thirty…five　was　stung　on　the　right　superior　palpebrum；　and　died　in　twenty　minutes。　Mease　reports　a　fourth　ease　from　Connecticut；　in　which　a　man　of　twenty…six　was　stung　by　a　bee　on　the　tip　of　the　nose。　He　recovered　after　treatment　with　ten…grain　doses　of　Dover's　Powder；　and　persistent　application　of　plantain　leaves。　A　fifth　case　was　that　of　a　farmer　in　Pennsylvania　who　was　stung　in　the　left　side　of　the　throat　by　a　wasp　which　he　had　swallowed　in　drinking　cider。　Notwithstanding　medical　treatment；　death　ensued　twenty…seven　hours　afterward。　A　sixth　case；　which　occurred　in　October；　1834；　is　given　by　the　same　author。　A　middle…aged　man　was　stung　by　a　yellow　wasp　on　the　middle　finger　of　the　right　hand；　and　died　in　less　than　twenty　minutes　after　having　received　his　wound。　A　seventh　case　was　that　of　a　New　York　farmer　who；　while　hoeing；　was　bitten　on　the　foot　by　a　spider。　Notwithstanding　medical　treatment；　principally　bleeding；　the　man　soon　expired。

Desbrest　mentions　the　sting　of　a　bee　above　the　eyebrow　followed　by　death。　Zacutus　saw　a　bee…sting　which　was　followed　by　gangrene。　Delaistre　mentions　death　from　a　hornet…sting　in　the　palate。　Nivison　relates　the　case　of　a　farmer　of　fifty　who　was　stung　in　the　neck　by　a　bee。　The　usual　swelling　and　discoloration　did　not　follow；　but　notwithstanding　vigorous　medical　treatment　the　man　died　in　six　days。　Thompson　relates　three　cases　of　bee…sting；　in　all　of　which　death　supervened　within　fifteen　minutes；one　in　a　farmer　of　fifty…eight　who　was　stung　in　the　neck　below　the　right　ear；　a　second　in　an　inn…keeper　of　fifty　who　was　stung　in　the　neck；　and　a　third　of　a　woman　of　sixty…four　who　was　stung　on　the　left　brow。　〃Chirurgus〃　recalls　the　details　of　a　case　of　a　wasp…sting　in　the　middle　finger　of　the　right　hand　of　a　man　of　forty；　depriving　him　of　all　sense　and　of　muscular　power。　Ten　minutes　after　receiving　it　he　was　unconscious；　his　heart…beats　were　feeble；　and　his　pulse　only　perceptible。

Syphilis　from　a　Flea…bite。Jonathan　Hutchinson；　in　the　October；　1895；　number　of　his　unique　and　valuable　Archives　of　Surgery；　reports　a　primary　lesion　of　most　unusual　origin。　An　elderly　member　of　the　profession　presented　himself　entirely　covered　with　an　evident　syphilitic　eruption；　which　rapidly　disappeared　under　the　use　of　mercury。　The　only　interest　about　the　case　was　the　question　as　to　how　the　disease　had　been　acquired。　The　doctor　was　evidently　anxious　to　give　all　the　information　in　his　power；　but　was　positive　that　he　had　never　been　exposed　to　any　sexual　risk；　and　as　he　had　retired　from　practice；　no　possibility　of　infection　in　that　manner　existed。　He　willingly　stripped；　and　a　careful　examination　of　his　entire　body　surface　revealed　no　trace　of　lesion　whatever　on　the　genitals；　or　at　any　point；　except　a　dusky　spot　on　one　leg；　which　looked　like　the　remains　of　a　boil。　This；　the　doctor　stated；　had　been　due　to　a　small　sore；　the　dates　of　the　appearance　and　duration　of　which　were　found　to　fit　exactly　with　those　of　a　primary　lesion。　There　had　also　been　some　enlargement　of　the　femoral　glands。　He　had　never　thought　of　the　sore　in　this　connection；　but　remembered　most　distinctly　that　it　followed　a　flea…bite　in　an　omnibus；　and　had　been　caused；　as　he　supposed；　by　his　scratching　the　place；　though　he　could　not　understand　why　it　lasted　so　long。　Mr。　Hutchinson　concludes　that　all　the　evidence　tends　to　show　that　the　disease　had　probably　been　communicated　from　the　blood　of　an　infected　person　through　the　bite　of　the　insect。　It　thus　appears　that　even　the　proverbially　trivial　fleabite　may　at　times　prove　a　serious　injury。

Snake…bites。A　writer　in　an　Indian　paper　asserts　that　the　traditional　immunity　of　Indian　snake…charmers　is　due　to　the　fact　that　having　been　accidentally　bitten　by　poisonous　serpents　or　insects　more　than　once；　and　having　survived　the　first　attack；　they　are　subsequently　immune。　His　assertion　is　based　on　personal　acquaintance　with　Madari　Yogis　and　Fakirs；　and　an　actual　experiment　made　with　a　Mohammedan　Fakir　who　was　immune　to　the　bites　of　scorpions　provided　by　the　writer。　The　animals　were　from　five　to　seven　inches　long　and　had　lobster…like　claws。　Each　bite　drew　blood；　but　the　Fakir　was　none　the　worse。

The　venom　of　poisonous　snakes　may　be　considered　the　most　typical　of　animal　poisons；　being　unrivaled　in　the　fatality　and　rapidity　of　its　action。　Fortunately　in　our　country　there　are　few　snake…bites；　but　in　the　tropic　countries；　particularly　India；　the　mortality　from　this　cause　is　frightful。　Not　only　are　there　numerous　serpents　in　that　country；　but　the　natives　are　lightly　dressed　and　unshod；　thus　being　exposed　to　the　bites　of　the　reptiles。　It　is　estimated　by　capable　authorities　that　the　deaths　in　India　each　year　from　snake…bites　exceed　20；000。　It　is　stated　that　there　were　2893　human　beings　killed　by　tigers；　leopards；　hyenas；　and　panthers　in　India　during　the　year　1894；　and　in　the　same　year　the　same　species　of　beasts；　aided　by　snakes；　killed　97；371　head　of　cattle。　The　number　of　human　lives　destroyed　by　snakes　in　India　in　1894　was　21；538。　The　number　of　wild　beasts　killed　in　the　same　year　was　13；447；　and　the　number　of　snakes　killed　was　102；210。

Yarrow　of　Washington；　who　has　been　a　close　student　of　this　subject；　has　found　in　this　country　no　less　than　27　species　of　poisonous　snakes；　belonging　to　four　genera。　The　first　genus　is　the　Crotalus；　or　rattlesnake　proper；　the　second　is　the　Caudisona；　or　ground…rattlesnake；　the　third　is　the　Ancistrodon；　or　moccasin；　one　of　the　species　of　which　is　a　water…snake；　and　the　fourth　is　the　Elaps；　or　harlequin　snake。　There　is　some　dispute　over　the　exact　degree　of　the　toxic　qualities　of　the　venom　of　the　Heloderma　suspectum；　or　Gila　monster。　In　India　the　cobra　is　the　most　deadly　snake。　It　grows　to　the　length　of　5　1/2　feet；　and　is　most　active　at　night。　The　Ophiophagus；　or　hooded　cobra；　is　one　of　the　largest　of　venomous　snakes；　sometimes　attaining　a　length　of　15　feet；　it　is　both　powerful；　active；　and　aggressive。　The　common　snakes　of　the　deadly　variety　in　the　United　States　are　the　rattlesnake；　the　〃copperhead；〃　and　the　moccasin；　and　it　is　from　the　bites　of　one　of　these　varieties　that　the　great　majority　of　reported　deaths　are　caused。　But　in　looking　over　medical　literature　one　is　struck　with　the　scarcity　of　reports　of　fatal　snake…bites。　This　is　most　likely　attributable　to　the　fact　that；　except　a　few　army…surgeons；　physicians　rarely　see　the　cases。　The　natural　abode　of　the　serpents　is　in　the　wild　and　uninhabited　regions。

The　venom　is　delivered　to　the　victim　through　the　medium　of　a　long　fang　which　is　connected　with　a　gland　in　which　the　poison　is　stored。　The　supply　may　be　readily　exhausted；　for　a　time　the　bite　would　then　be　harmless。　Contrary　to　the　general　impression；　snake…venom　when　swallowed　is　a　deadly　poison；　as　proved　by　the　experiments　of　Fayrer；　Mitchell；　and　Reichert。　Death　is　most　likely　caused　by　paralysis　of　the　vital　centers　through　the　circulation。　In　this　country　the　wounds　invariably　are　on　the　extremities；　while　in　India　the　cobra　sometimes　strikes　on　the　shoulder　or　neck。

If　called　on　to　describe　accurately　the　symptoms　of　snake…venom　poisoning；　few　medical　men　could　respond　correctly。　In　most　cases　the　wound　is　painful；　sometimes　exaggerated　by　the　mental　condition；　which　is　wrought　up　to　a　pitch　rarely　seen　in　other　equally　fatal　injuries。　It　is　often　difficult　to　discern　the　exact　point　of　puncture；　so　minute　is　it。　There　is　swelling　due　to　effusion　of　blood；　active　inflammation；　and　increasing　pain。