anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第187部分

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r　injury　occurring　during　an　attack　of　delirium　tremens。

Black　details　the　history　of　a　young　man　of　nineteen　who　went　to　his　bath…room　and　deliberately　placing　his　scrotum　on　the　edge　of　the　tub　he　cut　it　crossways　down　to　the　wood。　He　besought　Black　to　remove　his　testicle；　and　as　the　spermatic　cord　was　cut　and　much　injured；　and　hemorrhage　could　only　be　arrested　by　ligature；　the　testicle　was　removed。　The　reason　assigned　for　this　act　of　mutilation　was　that　he　had　so　frequent　nocturnal　emissions　that　he　became　greatly　disgusted　and　depressed　in　spirit　thereby。　He　had　practiced　self…abuse　for　two　years　and　ascribed　his　emissions　to　this　cause。　Although　his　act　was　that　of　a　maniac；　the　man　was　perfectly　rational。　Since　the　injury　he　had　had　normal　and　frequent　emissions　and　erections。

Orwin　mentions　the　case　of　a　laborer　of　forty　who；　in　a　fit　of　remorse　after　being　several　days　with　a　prostitute；　atoned　for　his　unfaithfulness　to　his　wife　by　opening　his　scrotum　and　cutting　away　his　left　testicle　with　a　pocket　knife。　The　missing　organ　was　found　about　six　yards　away　covered　with　dirt。　At　the　time　of　infliction　of　this　injury　the　man　was　calm　and　perfectly　rational。　Warrington　relates　the　strange　case　of　Isaac　Brooks；　an　unmarried　farmer　of　twenty…nine；　who　was　found　December　5；　1879；　with　extensive　mutilations　of　the　scrotum；　he　said　that　he　had　been　attacked　and　injured　by　three　men。　He　swore　to　the　identity　of　two　out　of　the　three；　and　these　were　transported　to　ten　years'　penal　servitude。　On　February　13；　1881；　he　was　again　found　with　mutilation　of　the　external　genitals；　and　again　said　he　had　been　set　upon　by　four　men　who　had　inflicted　his　injury；　but　as　he　wished　it　kept　quiet　he　asked　that　there　be　no　prosecution。　Just　before　his　death　on　December　31；　1881；　he　confessed　that　he　had　perjured　himself；　and　that　the　mutilations　were　self…performed。　He　was　not　aware　of　any　morbid　ideas　as　to　his　sexual　organs；　and　although　he　had　an　attack　of　gonorrhea　ten　years　before　he　seemed　to　worry　very　little　over　it。　There　is　an　account　of　a　Scotch　boy　who　wished　to　lead　a　〃holy　life；〃　and　on　two　occasions　sought　the　late　Mr。　Liston's　skilful　aid　in　pursuance　of　this　idea。　He　returned　for　a　third　time；　having　himself　unsuccessfully　performed　castration。

A　case　of　self…mutilation　by　a　soldier　who　was　confined　in　the　guard…house　for　drunkenness　is　related　by　Beck。　The　man　borrowed　a　knife　from　a　comrade　and　cut　off　the　whole　external　genital　apparatus；　remarking　as　he　flung　the　parts　into　a　corner：　〃Anyfool　can　cut　his　throat；　but　it　takes　a　soldier　to　cut　his　privates　off！〃　Under　treatment　he　recovered；　and　then　he　regretted　his　action。

Sinclair　describes　an　Irishman　of　twenty…five　who；　maniacal　from　intemperance；　first　cut　off　one　testicle　with　a　wire　nail；　and　then　the　second　with　a　trouser…buckle。　Not　satisfied　with　the　extent　of　his　injuries　he　drove　a　nail　into　his　temple；　first　through　the　skin　by　striking　it　with　his　hand；　and　then　by　butting　it　against　the　wall；the　latter　maneuver　causing　his　death。

There　is　on　record　the　history　of　an　insane　medical　student　in　Dublin　who　extirpated　both　eyes　and　threw　them　on　the　grass。　He　was　in　a　state　of　acute　mania；　and　the　explanation　offered　was　that　as　a　〃grinder〃　before　examination　he　had　been　diligently　studying　the　surgery　of　the　eye；　and　particularly　that　relating　to　enucleation。　Another　Dublin　case　quoted　by　the　same　authority　was　that　of　a　young　girl　who；　upon　being　arrested　and　committed　to　a　police…cell　in　a　state　of　furious　drunkenness；　tore　out　both　her　eyes。　In　such　cases；　as　a　rule；　the　finger…nails　are　the　only　instrument　used。　There　is　a　French　case　also　quoted　of　a　woman　of　thirty…nine　who　had　borne　children　in　rapid　succession。　While　suckling　a　child　three　months　old　she　became　much　excited；　and　even　fanatical；　in　reading　the　Bible。　Coming　to　the　passage；　〃If　thy　right　eye　offend　thee；　pluck　it　out；　etc。；〃　she　was　so　impressed　with　the　necessity　of　obeying　the　divine　injunction　that　she　enucleated　her　eye　with　a　meat…hook。　There　is　mentioned　the　case　of　a　young　woman　who　cut　off　her　right　hand　and　cast　it　into　the　fire；　and　attempted　to　enucleate　her　eyes；　and　also　to　hold　her　remaining　hand　in　the　fire。　Haslam　reports　the　history　of　a　female　who　mutilated　herself　by　grinding　glass　between　her　teeth。

Channing　gives　an　account　of　the　case　of　Helen　Miller；　a　German　Jewess　of　thirty；　who　was　admitted　to　the　Asylum　for　Insane　Criminals　at　Auburn；　N。Y。；　in　October；　1872；　and　readmitted　in　June；　1875；　suffering　from　simulation　of　hematemesis。　On　September　25th　she　cut　her　left　wrist　and　right　hand；　in　three　weeks　she　became　again　〃discouraged〃　because　she　was　refused　opium；　and　again　cut　her　arms　below　the　elbows；　cleanly　severing　the　skin　and　fascia；　and　completely　hacking　the　muscles　in　every　direction。　Six　weeks　later　she　repeated　the　latter　feat　over　the　seat　of　the　recently　healed　cicatrices。　The　right　arm　healed；　but　the　left　showed　erysipelatous　inflammation；　culminating　in　edema；　which　affected　the　glottis　to　such　an　extent　that　tracheotomy　was　performed　to　save　her　life。　Five　weeks　after　convalescence；　during　which　her　conduct　was　exemplary；　she　again　cut　her　arms　in　the　same　place。　In　the　following　April；　for　the　merest　trifle；　she　again　repeated　the　mutilation；　but　this　time　leaving　pieces　of　glass　in　the　wounds。　Six　months　later　she　inflicted　a　wound　seven　inches　in　length；　in　which　she　inserted　30　pieces　of　glass；　seven　long　splinters；　and　five　shoe…nails。　In　June；　1877；　she　cut　herself　for　the　last　time。　The　following　articles　were　taken　from　her　arms　and　preserved：　Ninety…four　pieces　of　glass；　34　splinters；　two　tacks；　five　shoe…nails；　one　pin；　and　one　needle；　besides　other　things　which　were　lost；making　altogether　about　150　articles。

〃Needle…girls；〃　etc。A　peculiar　type　of　self…mutilation　is　the　habit　sometimes　seen　in　hysteric　persons　of　piercing　their　flesh　with　numerous　needles　or　pins。　Herbolt　of　Copenhagen　tells　of　a　young　Jewess　from　whose　body；　in　the　course　of　eighteen　months；　were　extracted　217　needles。　Sometime　after　100　more　came　from　a　tumor　on　the　shoulder。　As　all　the　symptoms　in　this　case　were　abdominal；　it　was　supposed　that　during　an　epileptic　seizure　this　girl　had　swallowed　the　needles；　but　as　she　was　of　an　hysteric　nature　it　seems　more　likely　they　had　entered　the　body　through　the　skin。　There　is　an　instance　in　which　132　needles　were　extracted　from　a　young　lady's　person。　Caen　describes　a　woman　of　twenty…six；　while　in　prison　awaiting　trial；　succeeding　in　committing　suicide　by　introducing　about　30　pins　and　needles　in　the　chest　region；　over　the　heart。　Her　method　was　to　gently　introduce　them；　and　then　to　press　them　deeper　with　a　prayer…book。　An　autopsy　showed　that　some　of　the　pins　had　reached　the　lungs；　some　were　in　the　mediastinum；　on　the　back　part　of　the　right　auricle；　the　descending　vena　cave　was　perforated；　the　anterior　portion　of　the　left　ventricle　was　transfixed　by　a　needle；　and　several　of　the　articles　were　found　in　the　liver。　Andrews　removed　300　needles　from　the　body　of　an　insane　female。　The　Lancet　records　an　account　of　a　suicide　by　the　penetration　of　a　darning…needle　in　the　epigastrium。　There　were　nine　punctures　in　this　region；　and　in　the　last　the　needle　was　left　in　situ　and　fixed　by　worsted。　In　1851　the　same　journal　spoke　of　an　instance　in　which　30　pins　were　removed　from　the　limbs　of　a　servant　girl。　It　was　said　that　while　hanging　clothes；　with　her　mouth　full　of　pins；　she　was　slapped　on　the　shoulder；　causing　her　to　start　and　swallow　the　pins。　There　is　another　report　of　a　woman　who　swallowed　great　numbers　of　pins。　On　her　death　one　pound　and　nine　ounces　of　pins　were　found　in　her　stomach　and　duodenum。　There　are　individuals　known　as　〃human　pin…cushions；〃　who　publicly　introduce　pins　and　needles　into　their　bodies　for　gain's　sake。

The　wanderings　of　pins　and　needles　in　the　body　are　quite　well　known。　Schenck　records　the　finding　of　a　swallowed　pin　in　the　liver。　Haller　mentions　one　that　made　its　way　to　the　hand。　Silvy　speaks　of　a　case　in　which　a　quantity　of　swallowed　pins　escaped　through　the　muscles；　the　bladder；　and　vagina；　there　is　another　record　in　which　the　pins　escaped　many　years　afterward　from　the　thigh。　The　Philosophical　Transactions　contain　a　record　of　the　escape　of　a　pin　from　the　skin　of　the　arm　after　it　had　entered　by　the　mouth。　Gooch；　Ruysch；　Purmann；　and　Hoffman　speak　of　needle…wanderings。　Stephenson　gives　an　account　of　a　pin　which　was　finally　voided　by　the　bladder　after　forty…two　years'　sojourn　in　a　lady's　body。　On　November　15；　1802；　the　celebrated　Dr。　Lettsom　spoke　of　an　old　lady　who　sat　on　a　needle　while　riding　in　a　hackney　coach；　it　passed　from　the　injured　leg　to　the　other　one；　whence　it　was　extracted。　Deckers　tells　of　a　gentleman　who　was　wounded　in　the　right　hypochondrium；　the　ball　being　taken　thirty　years　afterward　from　the　knee。　Borellus　gives　an　account　of　a　thorn　entering　the　digit　and　passing　out　of　the　body　by　the　anus。

Strange　as　it　may　seem；　a　prick　of　a　pin　not　entering　a　vital　center　or　organ　has　been　the　indirect　cause　of　death。　Augenius　writes　of　a　tailor　who　died　in　consequence　of　a　prick　of　a　needle　between　the　nail　and　flesh　of　the　end　of　the　thumb。　Amatus　Lusitanus　mentions　a　similar　instance　in　an　old　woman；　although；　from　the　symptoms　given；　the　direct　cause　was　probably　tetanus。　In　modern　times　Cunninghame；　Boring；　and　Hobart　mention　instances　in　which　death　has　followed　the　prick　of　a　pin：　in　Boring's　case　the　death　occurred　on　the　fifth　day。

Manufacture　of　Crippled　Beggars。Knowing　the　sympathy　of　the　world　in　general　for　a　cripple；　in　some　countries　low　in　the　moral　scale；　voluntary　mutilation　is　sometimes　practiced　by　those　who　prefer　begging　to　toiling。　In　the　same　manner　artificial　monstrosities　have　been　manufactured　solely　for　gain's　sake。　We　quite　often　read　of　these　instances　in　lay…journals；　but　it　is　seldom　that　a　case　comes　under　the　immediate　observation　of　a　thoroughly　scientific　mind。　There　is；　however；　on　record　a　remarkable　instance　accredited　to　Jamieson　of　Shanghai　who　presented　to　the　Royal　College　of　Surgeons　a　pair　of　feet　with　the　following　history：　Some　months　previously　a　Chinese　beggar　had　excited　much　pity　and　made　a　good　business　by　showing　the　mutilated　stumps　of　his　legs；　and　the　feet