A Case of Fish in the Throat

a man came running to the dispensary with a little boy about 5 years old, and stated that the boy, while playing about where some live fishes (Kholesa milch)were kept, happened to put the head of one into his mouth, which made its way into his throat, about two hours previously. On examination, I found the child was breathing with great difficulty and groaning; pulse rather feeble. On opening his mouth widely and depressing his tongue, I could only see the tail of the fish, but at this stage the child became very restless, and I was obliged to stop the proceedings. To put him under the influence of chloroform I thought would be dangerous. I ordered his head to be caught firmly, and his jaws widely separated with a cork ; then with a strong pair of forceps I secured the fish between its blades, but found it was firmly caught in the throat, and if I were to make any forcible attempt to drag it out, not only all the soft and delicate parts would be lacerated, but portions would come away and the result would likely be fatal. I therefore commenced to shake it in the way a man tries to separate a thorny plant entangled in his clothes, and at the same time dragging gently upwards ; in about 10 minutes' time I succeeded in bringing the fish out. It was 3^ inches long and lj inch broad, and was quite dead. There was slight bleeding, but on washing the mouth and throat freely with cold water it stopped, and he breathed with