This most astonishing and bizarre story of Kate Hudson appears in "Kirby's wonderful and eccentric museum; or, Magazine of remarkable characters. Including all the curiosities of nature and art, from the remotest period to the present time, drawn from every authentic source. " Volume 4 (1820). This Kate Hudson, as a young girl, constantly swallowed pins, needles and sharp bone pieces. Frankly, I would be very surprised if the modern Kate Hudson suffered from the same affliction. But then again, coincidences sometimes reveal unusual traits and behaviors. I am not going to share the entire story, much of which is very medical in nature. Suffices to say that were it not the help of Dr. Moises Kate would have surely died.
Some excerpts from the minutes of the case.
- Kate Hudson, a single woman, aged 31, was admitted into the general hospital, Nottingham, on the 4th of August, 1783, for an inflammatory affection of the right arm. On inspection of the arm two needles were discovered under the skin, a little above the dorsal side of the wrist. They lay in a transverse direction, and were readily extracted by pushing the points through the skin, and laying hold of them with a pair of forceps. Upon a more minute examination, some more needles were felt about three inches higher up the forearm, but farther back than the others, and more over the flexor muscles; these lay longitudinally, and appeared to have their heads downwards. These needles were extracted as before, a small puncture with a lancet having been previously made.
- October 11. A very large darning needle was this day extracted from her right breast, seemingly buried within a part of the gland; thinks she feels another needle very deep seated under the gland in the middle of the breast; complained of great pain in the breast after the removal of the needle, which, in about an hour afterwards, became so excessive as to throw her into convulsions.
- A splinter came away from the inner angle of the lower jaw on the right side; violent pain in her breast.
- For several days has complained of great pain in her breast; and describes it to' be as if several pins were lodged in the mamma and pectoral muscle, and lying between the two ribs.
- The right mamma was extirpated this day, in the middle of which a needle was found closely impacted; an hemorrhage taking place in the evening, the dressings were removed, and a small artery was taken up; a pin was found in the dressings...
- Complained of pain; the dressings were partially removed; another pin was sticking to the dressings; four other pins were also discovered in the wound, which were removed without difficulty. One of the pins having lost the head, her perception was so accurate as to distinguish it before removing the dressings.
- On removing the dressings two pins were found adhering to them.
- This morning thirty-four pieces of bone were working their way through the sinus.
- This morning a portion of bone, about three quarters of an inch in length, of a curved form with points, was discharged by stool.
Finally, after many months of anguish and treatment, Kate Hudson could resume a normal life. Years later, Dr. Moises made the following entry:
July 26, 1792. I have this day been credibly informed by a neighbour and relation of Kate Hudson, that she is married, has two fine children, and enjoys better health than for several years past.
