An Account of the Extraordinary Cure of a Horse That Was Staked into His Stomach; Communicated by the Reverend Dr. John Wallis, D. D. R. S. Soc.

An Account of the Extraordinary Cure of a Horse that was Staked into his Stomach; communicated by the Reverend Dr. John Wallis, D.D.R.S. Soc. THIS is to give you an account of a late Accident, which seems to me very considerable, and worth observing. My Son (Mr. John Wallis, of Soundess by Nettlebed in Oxfordshire) had a Horse, which this last Summer 1695 (sometime after Midsummer, in Harvest-time) leaping over a Hedge, chanced to stake himself; and so dangerously that the Stake entred far into his Body, and (as appeared afterwards) into the Cavity of his Maw or Ventricle. What time of the day this happened, we know not; but a Boy being sent to fetch home the Horse, rode home upon him about four of the Clock in the Afternoon, without discerning the hurt, till (upon his alighting) he found his own Legs bloody, and then discerned the Wound, somewhat behind the Fore-legs, a little inclining to one side; and the Stake which hurt him, was since found bloody. A Farrier was then sent for, (Thomas Bishop the Younger of Wallingford, about five miles off,) who chanced not to be at home, but was gone to a place more than five mile farther; so that he came not to Soundess till after ten of the Clock at Night. When he came, he searched the Wound; with his Finger, as far as he could reach; and brought out with it some Grass, newly chewed; whereby he found plainly that it had pierced the Coats of the Ventricle, into the Cavity of the Maw; and was giving it over as desperate, and that it was to no purpose to proceed further. But then considering that the Horse could but dye, he resolved to try what might might be done. He first (having the Horse on his Back) enlarged the Wound in the outer Skin, and Rimb of the Belly, (by cutting it wider) that he might come at the Maw; where he found the Wound to be at least three inches long; he then removed the Maw outward, and (while he was preparing his Needle and Thred) he ordered one of the Servants (Robert Watmore) to cleanse the Maw from what was in it, as being less likely to gangrene when empty; who thrusting in three Fingers and his Thumb (the Wound there being large enough to receive them) pulled out the chewed Grass, and what he found there. The Maw being thus cleansed, the Farrier sewed up the Wound therein, and then thrust the Maw back into the Body; and then sewed up the Wound in the Rimb of the Belly: The Wound in the outward Skin he did not sow up, but only tacked it loosely together about the Middle, leaving room on both sides to put in Tints and Medicines for the healing of it. The Horse after this continued for some time much indisposed, but in a Month or six Weeks time (with careful attendance) the wounds were closed and perfectly cured: And the Horse worked at the Plow and other Services as before; and hath ever since continued sound and well, and was now lately sold, (to an Horse-courser) for double the price that he cost. I thought fit to give you these particular circumstances, from the Mouth of my Son, and of the forementioned Servant, who was concerned in the whole process. This seems to me a good confirmation of a story we had many Years agoe (de Prusso Cultrivoro) of a Prussian, who was said (I know not by what chance) to have swallowed a Knife into his Stomach; whereupon, his side was opened, an incision made in the Stomach, the Knife thence taken out, the Wound then sewed up, and the Man recovered. Which hath been looked upon as a story a story very strange and hardly credible; but is rendered more credible by this parallel Operation. John Wallis. On this Occasion it may not seem improper to subjoin an Account we have not long since received from Germany, of a very uncommon Case of this Kind, the Relation whereof follows. Anno 1691. Jan. 3. in a Village called Maschwitz, about a league from Hall in Saxony, a Country Lad, by name Andrew Rudloff, about 16 years of Age, playing tricks with a Knife in his Mouth, and hapning to fall with it, the Knife accidentally slipt down his Throat into his Stomach; being in all about 6½ Inches long, with a Harts-Horn Haft. It were long to insert the Symptoms, as Pains, Vomitings, &c. that followed thereupon; but the Curiosity of the Case did oblige M. Wolfgang Christopher Wese-ner, Physician to the Elector of Brandenburg, to take care of him and administer Medicines proper for his relief. The Knife was felt to have changed its position several times, and after a few Months ceased to be very troublesome; and in about a year was so much diminished, as to be difficult to be felt from without. Not long after an angry Tumour with Inflammation broke out, three fingers breadth below the Pit of the Stomach, which being ripened, the Apothem was opened May 24. 1692; and being kept open, the Point of the Knife first appeared thereat July 18. following. The Point they fastned with a Silk Thread, and the wound being widened, the Knife was drawn out thereat August 2. a Year and seven Months after it had been swallowed, and in a little time the Lad was perfectly well. The Knife was exceedingly consumed in all dimensions, as may be seen in the Printed Account that was published by the aforesaid Physician, and Printed at Hall, where the thing was done; so that there is no room left to doubt of the truth thereof. La