Smgular Wound. 9 1 



enjoyments of the mess-room, and died eight years afterwards, 

 on the I St of April, 1836, not from any consequences of this 

 fearful wound, but from fever and inflammation brought on 

 by other causes. 



So little was he apparently inconvenienced by the presence 

 of the strange body in his palate that he was accustomed with 

 his finger partially to undo the screw, which but for its 

 extreme length he might altogether have withdrawn. To 

 enable this to be done, and possibly to assist by this means 

 the extraction of the breech itself through the original orifice 

 (which never entirely closed), an attempt was made in 1835 

 to take off a portion of the screw with a file ; but, after having 

 cut it three parts through the operation was interrupted, 

 chiefly owing to the carelessness and indifference of Capt. 

 Fretz, whose death occurred before the attempt could be 

 resumed. The piece of iron, on being removed after his 

 decease, was found to measure 2| inches in length, and 

 weighed two scruples more than two ounces and three 

 quarters. A cast of the breech and screw now forms 

 No. 2790 amongst the deposits in the Medical Museum of 

 Chatham. 



