Sec. 422. The second Event is, when these fatal Substances are never voided, but cause very embarrassing Symptoms which finally kill the Patient; and of these Cases there have been but too many Examples. A young Girl having swallowed some Pins, which she held in her Mouth, some of them were voided by Stool; but others of them pricked and pierced into her Guts, and even into the Muscles of her Belly, with the severest Pain; and killed her at the End of three Weeks. A Man swallowed a Needle, which pierced through his Stomach, and into his Liver, [94] and ended in a mortal Consumption. [94] I saw a very similar Instance and Event in a Lady's little favourite Bitch, whole Body she desired to be opened, from suspecting her to have been poisoned. But it appeared that a small Needle with fine Thread, which she had swallowed, had passed out of the Stomach into the _Duodenum_ (one of the Guts) through which the Point had pierced and pricked and corroded the concave Part of the Liver, which was all rough and putrid. The whole Carcase was greatly bloated and extremely offensive, very soon after the poor Animal's Death, which happened two or three Months after the Accident, and was preceded by a great Wheezing, Restlessness and Loss of Appetite. The Needle was rusty, but the Thread entire, and very little altered. _K._ A Plummet which slipt down, while the Throat of a Patient was searching, killed him at the End of two Years. It is very common for different Coins, and of different Metals, to be swallowed without any fatal or troublesome Effects. Even a hundred Luidores [95] have been swallowed, and all voided. Nevertheless these fortunate Escapes ought not to make People too secure and incautious on such Occasions, since such melancholy Consequences have happened, as may very justly alarm them. One single Piece of Money that was swallowed, entirely obstructed the Communication between the Stomach and the Intestines, and killed the Patient. Whole Nuts have often been inadvertently swallowed; but there have been some Instances of Persons in whom a Heap [96] of them has been formed, which proved the Cause of Death, after producing much Pain and Inquietude. [95] I knew a Man of the Name of _Poole_, who being taken in the same Ship with me, 1717 or 18, by Pirates, had swallowed four Ginueas, and a gold Ring, all which he voided some Days after without any Injury or Complaint, and saved them. I forget the exact Number of Days he retained them, but the Pirates staid with us from Saturday Night to Thursday Noon. _K._ [96] Many fatal Examples of this Kind may be seen in the _Philosophical Transactions_; and they should caution People against swallowing Cherry-stones, and still more against those of Prunes, or such as are pointed, though not very acutely. _K._