whose wife poured molten pewter in his
ear while asleep. It was removed, but total deafness was the
result.
Alley mentions a New Orleans wharf laborer, in whose ear was
poured some molten lead; seventeen months afterward the lead was
still occupying the external auditory meatus. It is quite
remarkable that the lead should have remained such a length of
time without causing meningeal inflammation. There was deafness
and palsy of that side of the face. A fungous growth occupied the
external portion of the ear; the man suffered pain and discharge
from the ear, and had also great difficulty in closing his right
eyelid. Morrison mentions an alcoholic patient of forty who, on
June 6, 1833, had nitric acid poured in her right ear. There were
no headache, febrile symptoms, stupor, or vertigo. Debility alone
was present. Two weeks after the injury paralysis began on the
right side, and six weeks from the injury the patient died. This
case is interesting from the novel mode of death, the perfect
paralysis of the arm, paralysis agitans of the body (occurring as
hemorrhage from the ear came on, and subsiding with it), and
extensive caries of the petrous bone, without sensation of pain
or any indicative symptoms.
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