Extracts of Two Letters from the Revd Dean Copping, F. R. S. to the President, concerning the Caesarian Operation Performed by an Ignorant Butcher; And concerning the Extraordinary Skeleton Mentioned in the Foregoing Article

ever saw. Some Ladies were then passing by; so I sent him off in Haste, and have not seen him since. I have either heard or read of one Instance of this kind before. I shall make no Apology for giving you the Trouble of this long Letter, but that of assuring you that I am with great Sincerity Your Lordship's most obedient, humble Servant, ROBERT CORKE. XVII. Extracts of Two Letters from the Revd Dean Copping, F.R.S. to the President, concerning the Caesarian Operation performed by an ignorant Butcher; and concerning the extraordinary Skeleton mentioned in the foregoing Article. SIR, Dublin, March 16. 1737-8. I Have transcribed a Case, which I received from a young Clergyman, who some time studied Physic, and knows the Woman: I shall probably see her at Clogher, where she now lives. The Case happened within these Two Years, but I cannot learn the exact Date at present. Sarah McKenna, who now lives at Brentram, Two Miles from the City of Clogher, in the County of of Tyrone, was married at the Age of Sixteen Years. —Before her Marriage she never had the Appearance peculiar to Women; but, in a Month after her Marriage, those Appearances shewed themselves properly. Ten Months after her Marriage, she found the Symptoms of Pregnancy, and bore a Child at the Expiration of the usual Time. Ten Months after, she was delivered of another; and each time had a speedy and easy Delivery. Two Months after her second Lying-in, Symptoms of Pregnancy appeared again, and increased in Proportion to the Time; but at the End of Nine Months those Symptoms began to dwindle, and in a little time she had no other Reason for thinking she was with Child, but an absolute Stoppage of her Catamenia: Nor had she, during the Space of Six Years and some Months, any one Return of them; but for the greatest Part of that Time, especially the Four first Years, she was perpetually afflicted with most violent Pains in the middle Region of the Abdomen. Some time in the Seventh Year after her last Pregnancy, which ended in such an unusual Manner, a Swelling in her Belly, and other Symptoms, made her conclude she was again pregnant. About Seven Months after this uncertain Account, a Boil, as she thought, appeared about an Inch and an half higher than her Navel. During this time of her Pregnancy she often found the Symptoms of her being quick with Child, till about Six Weeks before this Boil (as she calls it) appeared. It was attended with very great Pain. She sent for one Turlogh [Terence] O Neill, a Butcher, who then did, and does now live with Capt. George George Gledstanes, about a Mile from Clogher. This Man came to her the Sunday after her Message, and found her in an expiring Condition. By this time the Impostumation (which she apprehended to be a Boil) had broken, and an Elbow of the Child had forced itself through it, and appeared in View. At the Request of herself and Friends, he undertook to administer Relief to her, and made so large an Incision above and below the Navel, as enabled him, by fixing his Fingers under the Jaw of the Fetus, to extract it; in which Operation he met not with the least Impediment. He afterwards looked into her Belly, and seeing something black, he put in his Hand, and extracted, by Pieces, a perfect Skeleton of a Child, and several Pieces of black putrefied Flesh. After the Operation, he swathed her up; and in Six Weeks she pursued her domestic Business. She has been in good Health ever since this wonderful Accident happened; only she has a Navel-rupture, owing to the Ignorance of the Man in not applying a proper Bandage. I am, &c. J. Copping. Clogher (Ireland) June 2. 1738. —I have seen the Woman, of whom I sent you the surprising Account, with her Husband, and inquired more particularly into the Fact; but hope to be still a little more particular, when I see the Man who extracted the Child. They are so ignorant, that, with their bad Language, I could not make myself quite Master of what they said; but, if they speak true, there is something more surprising than the former former Account mentioned: For the several Parts of the latter, or rather the former, *Fœtus*, were extracting by Degrees, from July to Christmas. She had, by their Account, been married about Eight or Ten Years before her first Pregnancy. As well as I could apprehend them, she had a Midwife at the proper Time, in her first Pregnancy, for Eight Days, Day and Night: When the Symptoms disappeared, the Swelling decreased, and People concluded there was no Child. This Child was carried for Seven Years, till she had been again pregnant for Nine Months; about which time there was a Swelling in her Navel about the Bigness of a Goose-egg, which broke in a small Orifice, of itself, and discharged a watry Humour. She had a Midwife, and Three or Four Physicians, who gave her over, and left her as a dying Woman. From this Orifice started the Elbow of a Child, which hung some Days by the Skin, visible to abundance: At length she cut it off for her own Relief. When O Neile came, (whom I have not yet seen, but shall soon) she begged him to help her. The Man was frightened, and went to sleep; but, when he got up, gave her a large Draught of Sack, and, I suppose, took one himself; when he opened the Place, and made such a Hole as the Man describes to be as large as his Hat. He put in his Hand, took hold of the Second Bone of the Child, and, pulling it backward and forward to loosen it, in a little time extracted the Child. After this, looking into the Hole, and seeing something black, he put in his Hand, and extracted other Bones. Some Bones still remained, which, as I said, were extracted at different times, it seems seems too in different ways; for some came by the Navel, others from the Womb the natural Way. She had great Pain at each time. The former Account says, she pursued her domestic Business: She might be about the House, but she was 15 Months confined to the House. I have examined the Rupture, and can put a Finger a pretty Way up into the Body. Mr. Dobbs, I hear, an eminent Surgeon at Dublin, thinks there may be Relief, and that the Rupture may be much helped, and the Guts reduced. I question whether he will think so, when he sees her. However, I have collected about Four Pounds for her among the Gentlemen that visit my Lord Bishop, shall buy her some Cloaths, and send her to Dublin about 10 Days hence, to the Infirmary. She was fond of going, but her ignorant Priest, and some other ignorant Neighbours, told her they would keep her till she dies: But, upon my answering those Difficulties, she consents to go; her Husband will carry her; and they are so thankful to me for entering so much into their Condition, that they now say she shall go to London, or where-ever I please. I am sorry the several Bones extracted were carried away by different Physicians, that I cannot procure one to be sent to you; which, with the Account, might find a Place in your surprising Collection. I have wrote so long a Letter, that, by way of Apology, and to make some Amends, I must make it still longer by another Account, which a worthy Clergyman gave me by Strength of Memory, from the Letter of a Physician to him. William William Clark, a poor Man of the County of Corke, about 18 Years of Age, complained of a Stiffness in his Joints, which by Degrees increased till it came to an universal Ankylosis: That is, all his Joints were immoveable or ossified. He lived in this Condition 38 Years, and Dr. Barry, the Physician at Corke, has made a Skeleton of him; and his Account of it is this [see Tab. V. Fig. 1. 2.]: Not one Bone in his Body has the natural Form; for all his Joints are immoveable and ossified: And such a luxuriant Disposition had all the Humours of his Body to turn into Bone, that many little Branches of Bone, like Coral, spring from the Joints and several Parts of the Body. The whole Spine is ossified, and one entire Arch of Bone there is from the Occiput down to the Os Sacrum; out of which arises a very protuberant Bone, which serves as a fine Handle to the Skeleton. A sharp Horn, like a Cock’s Spur, grew out of his Heel every Year. The Extract concludes thus: “It is as difficult to give a particular and exact Description of this curious Memento mori, as of Calypso’s Grotto.” I am promised very soon a complete History of his Life, and I shall endeavour to transmit William Clark’s Name to future Ages. Signed, John Copping. Tab. V. Fig. 1. The Front of the Skeleton. 2. The Back-side of it.