History of a case in which a knife was swallowed, and passed through the abdominal wall, after an interval of nine weeks / by Edward Lund.

  • Lund, Edward, 1823-1898.
Date:
[1872]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of a case in which a knife was swallowed, and passed through the abdominal wall, after an interval of nine weeks / by Edward Lund. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ran down stairs into the kitchen, in her night dress. Her hus- band, who was in the same room, heard a noise, but for the moment was unaware what was the cause of it. Becoming alarmed at her absence from the room, he called the servants, and then went down to seek her. As soon as a light had been procured, she was found crouched down in one corner of the kitchen, looking very wild and frightened, and, when spoken to, she kept repeating the words “ I have done it, I have done it.” When asked what she had done, she replied “ I have swallowed itand, in answer to another question, she said “ The knife to be sure.” These words she continued to repeat, saying hardly anything else for several hours. At last she became quiet, and was persuaded to swallow some milk and other fluids which were given to her, and also some brandy. In this way, after a few hours, she so far recovered from the shock she had experienced that she returned to bed, and had some sleep. It was very evident, however, when she awoke, that a very powerful delusion had taken possession of her mind, although, from the inco- herent way in which she continued to talk, it was difficult to see whether it was from real delirium, or from some event which had actually occurred. It was noticed that, while she was in the kitchen, she seemed to retch a little, and there was blood mixed with what she vomited. It was also observed that there were two scratches or marks on the skin of her chest, near to her left breast; and when she was asked about these, she said she made them with a fork. She had been so often sick after attacks of intemperance, when too much stimulant had been taken, that the tendency to vomit on this occasion was not remarked upon at the time. Her mother was sent for, and came to stay with her for a few days, and when the fit of delirium had subsided, she spoke to her daughter about what had occurred in the kitchen, and asked her whether it was true that she had swallowed a knife, for the servants declared that one of the dessert knives was missing. She replied that she thought she had done so, hut was not sure; and, in a few days afterwards, when the general nervous excitement had subsided, and she seemed almost herself again, she reverted to the subject of her own accord,