210 
Dr Marcel’s Account of a Man 
but wjiieh subsided on the expulsion being effected. The 30th 
of November I was removed from the Isis; at which time 
Cummings expressed himself to be easier than he had long 
been, though suffering from pain, and vomiting at intervals. 
The surgeon who succeeded me (Mr Peter Kelly) wrote 
to me, on the 23d of January 1807, to say that Cummings was 
much the same as when I left him, and had passed, in the early 
part of the month, the iron portion of the handle of a knife. 
In May 1807, I received a farther communication from Mr 
Kelly. He stated, that Cummings continued much as usual ; 
that he had passed several pieces of iron, one of which had ex- 
cited extreme pain, from its having lain transversely on the rec- 
tum; and that one piece, with a hook-like end, had been eject- 
ed from the stomach, with excruciating pain, and haemorrhage 
to the amount of two pounds of blood. Mr Kelly further 
states that the expulsion of the different pieces of iron was ge- 
rally preceded by severe pain in the abdomen. 
“ After the last communication from Mr Kelly, I never 
heard any thing further respecting Cummings, until I received 
your favour of the 22d instant. If the incomplete account I 
have here given of this extraordinary case shall prove at all sa- 
tisfactory, I shall be satisfied. I have only now to add, that of 
the portions of knives expelled, I have six pieces of iron, and 
two of horn. I trust you will have the goodness to favour me 
with an account of the examination of the stomach ; in the ex- 
pectation of which, I remain, Sir, 
Your very humble servant, 
B, Lara.” 
The following very curious narrative was drawn up by Cum- 
mings himself, and entitled, ‘‘ A miraculous Recovery of a Sea- 
man, who swallowed a number of Knives at three different times, 
as you see in this little book and though it contains most of 
the particulars already stated, we shall follow Dr Marcet in 
giving it in Cummings’ own words. 
“ John Cummings, thirty-two years of age, was, in the 
month of June 1799, in France. Upon a Sunday afternoon, 
he and a party of his shipmates went out to the country, two 
miles from the town of Havre de Grace, where, upon their ap- 
proaching a large field, observed a great number of men and 
