An Account of the Man Whose Arm with the Shoulder-Blade Was Torn off by a Mill, the 15th of August 1737. by Mr. John Belchier, F. R. S. Surgeon to Guy's Hospital

V. An Account of the Man whose Arm with the Shoulder-blade was torn off by a Mill, the 15th of August 1737. by Mr. John Belchier, F.R.S. Surgeon to Guy's Hospital. Samuel Wood, about 26 Years of Age, Servant to Mr. Felton, being at Work in one of the Mills near the Isle of Dogs, over-against Deptford, and going to fetch a Sack of Corn from the further Part of the Mill, in order to convey it up into the Hopper, carelessly took with him a Rope, at the End of which was a Slip-knot, which he had put round his Wrist; and passing by one of the large Wheels, the Cogs of it caught hold of the Rope, and he not being able to disengage his Hand instantly, was drawn towards the Wheel, and raised off the Ground, till his Body being check'd by the Beam which supports the Axis of the Wheel, his Arm with the Shoulder-blade was separated from it. At the Time the Accident happen'd, he says he was not sensible of any Pain, but only felt a tingling about the Wound, and being a good deal surpriz'd, did not know that his Arm was torn off, till he saw it in the Wheel: When he was a little recover'd, he came down a narrow Ladder to the first Floor of the Mill, where his Brother was, who seeing his Condition, ran down Stairs immediately out of the Mill to a House adjacent to the next Mill, which is about a Hundred Yards distant from the Place where the Accident happen'd, and alarm'd the Inhabitants with what had happen'd to his Brother; but before they could get out of the the House to his Assistance, the poor Man had walk'd by himself to within about ten Yards of the House, where, being quite spent by the great Effusion of Blood, he fainted away, and lay on the Ground; they immediately took him up, and carried him into the House, and strew'd a large Quantity of Loaf-Sugar powder'd into the Wound, in order to choak the Blood, till they could have the Assistance of a Surgeon, whom they sent instantly for to Limehouse; but the Messenger being very much frighted, could not give the Surgeon a clear Idea of the Accident, so that when he came to see the Condition the Man was in, he had no Dressings with him for an Accident of that Kind; but had brought with him an Apparatus for a broken Arm, which he understood by what he could learn from the Messenger to be the Case; however, he sent home for proper Dressings, and when he came to examine particularly into the Wound, in order to secure the large Blood-vessels, there was not the least Appearance of any, nor any Effusion of Blood; so having first brought the fleshy Parts of the Wound as near together as he could by means of a Needle and Ligature, he dress'd him up with a warm Digestive, and apply'd a proper Bandage: The next Morning he open'd the Wound again, in Company with two Surgeons more; and not perceiving any Effusion of Blood at that Time, he dress'd him as before, and sent him in the Afternoon to St. Thomas's Hospital, where he was admitted a Patient under the Care of Mr. Ferne; from which Time he was constantly attended, in Expectation of a Hemorrhage of Blood from the Sub-clavian Artery; but there being no Appearance of fresh Bleeding, it was not thought proper to remove the the Dressings during the Space of four Days, when Mr. Ferne open'd the Wound, at which Time likewise there was not the least Appearance of any Blood-vessels; so he dress'd him up again, and in about two Months time the Cure was intirely completed. Upon examining the Arm within a Day or two after it was separated from the Body, I found the Scapula fractured transversly, as were likewise the Radius and Ulna in two Places: But whether these Bones were fractur'd before the Arm was torn off, the Man cannot possibly judge. The Muscles inserted into the Scapula were broke off near their Insertions, but the Muscles arising from the Scapula came away with it intire. The Latissimus Dorsi and Pectoralis, were likewise broke off near their Insertions into the Os humeri. The Integuments of the Scapula, and upper Part of the Arm, were left on the Body, as also the Clavicle. But what is very surprizing is, that the Subclavian Artery, which could never be got at to be secured by Art, should not bleed at all after the first Dressing; the Artery being separated so happily, that when the Coats of it were contracted, the fleshy Parts press'd against the Mouth of it, and prevented any Effusion of Blood. As this Case is very singular, and so remarkable, that no History can furnish us with any Instance similar to it, in order to give a particular Account of it, besides visiting the Man frequently, from his first Admittance into the Hospital, and getting from him what Information he was capable of giving me, I went myself two Days ago to the Mill where the Accident happen'd, pen'd, and inquir'd into every particular Circumstance relating to the Fact, of Mr. Felton, with whom the Man work'd, the Woman of the House where the Man was carried into, and the Surgeon that dress'd him, who all certified to me what is above related; and for the farther Satisfaction of the Society, I have brought the Man himself, and likewise the Arm, just as 'twas torn from his Body, which has been kept in Spirits ever since the Accident happen'd. Nov. 17. 1737. VI. An Account of the Wound, which the late Lord Carpenter received at Brihuega; whereby a Bullet remained near his Gullet for a Year wanting a few Days; communicated to the Royal Society by his Son the Right Honourable George Lord Carpenter, F. R. S. &c. Lord Carpenter was wounded at the Defence of the Breach of Brihuega in Spain, in the Mouth by a small Spanish Musket-ball, which having taken away Part of his upper Lip, beat out all his Teeth (except two) on one Side, broke and splinter'd part of his upper Jaw-bone, went through his Tongue, and lodged itself near his Gullet, where it remained fifty-one Weeks and three Days before it was extracted, the Chirurgeons thinking it had been spit out with some of his Teeth soon after his being wounded. The Ledge which was made upon the Bullet by the two