Things in unexpected places….

In my searches I often find articles that tell us about everyday things found in places you would never expect to see them.

Evelyn Observer and South and East Bourke Record 20 Apr 1900 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60687732

Steven Harris was found dead in the Campaspe River and was found to have drowned. During the examination of the body a wax match was found in his heart. Not the usual thing found in a major organ and I think the heart would have trouble functioning if it had been there while Harris was alive.

The Argus 2 Feb 1923 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1873001

Kennedy from Antwerp was in hospital to have his appendix removed and when they opened him up it was found to be full of shot. They explain this by telling us he has been accustomed to shooting and eating wild game all his life. My question is, was he accustomed to chewing? I am no doctor but I really don’t think that the secret function of the appendix is to filter shot. There are a good many people in the world that hunt their own food and I haven’t heard any other reports of this type of thing.

Barrier Miner 6 Apr 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45030444

Finally, a turkey was found to have 10 pieces of gold in its gizzard. I wonder how quickly the rest of the turkeys that had been feeding in the same place were evicted and gutted?

You don’t hear much of this thing these days. Do doctors find weird stuff and keep it quiet for fear of being blamed and sued? Is it just that nervous assistants are less likely to be smoking in the autopsy room or hunters are more likely to seek medical help when shot in the abdomen? Gold bearing turkeys on the other hand….I have no explanation for that.