A WARNING TO SMOKERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4793, 10 September 1883, Page 3

A WARNING TO SMOKERS.

The Auokland Herald tells the following curious story :— Beoently the partioulars of a remarkable aooident oame to our knowledge. The subjeot of the aooident was Mr George Stillie, traveller for Meiers Blackie and Son, publishers, London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. About sixteen or seventeen months ago, Mr Stillie waa in Australia.- The weather was very hot, and he took a hammock and bus* pended it under the verandah of the house he was staying in as a bed at night. The mosquitos were troublesome, and, as he had often done previously, he lighted his pipe after getting into the hammock *- a *" ee P hi" tormentors away until he should fall asleep. The pipe he used was a meersohaum one, with * bone stalk whioh screwed on. The full length of this part of the stalk was 2f inohes. The bowl of tbe pipe had been loose though unknown to Mr Stillie at the time. During sleep the bowl of the pipe beoame detached from the stalk, and he had un* consciously sucked the stalk down the wind* pipe, and it had found a lodgment on the top of the right lung. Of this he was quite unconscious at the time, and the absence of the stem on tbe following day excited no suspicion in his mind. He began to suffer from an irritating cough, and on a dootor being oonsulted he started that he was suffering from ohronio bronchitis. In Melbourne subsequently he oonsulted other mediaal men, but all told him the same tale — ohronic bronohitis. On his arrival in New Zealand, more than twelve months ago, he suffered a good deal when in Danedin, and was informed by the dootor he consulted there the same story ; but he promised to cure him of ohronio bronohitis if he would lie up for six weeka. Mr Stillie did not see his way to do that, and continued until about six weeks ago, to nuffer from his chronic complaint, All whom he consulted agreed upon the ailment from which he suffered save one ohemist in Melbourne, who asserted that his trouble was. not bronohitis, whatever it was. About six weeks ago Mr Stillie was in Wellington', and was seized wii*h a severe fit of coughing, and keeping his head in a Btooping position while so coughing, he ultimately coughed up the Jong-concealed pipe stalk. An übscoss formed where the stalk had so long rested, and he was attended to at the Hospital here soon after his arrival in Auckland. He is now staying at the Albert Hotel, and will be glad to show the cause of so much suffering to any medical man who may feel interest, in the recital of the particulars of his case. '■■ '■