REMOVAL OF NAIL FROM CHILD'S STOMACH

Chronicle (Levin), 12 June 1946, Page 5

REMOVAL OF NAIL FROM CHILD'S STOMACH

-Press Association

HOME-MA.DE MAGNET USED.

Bv Teleciraph-

GISBORNE, June 10. A home-made electro-magnet was used to extraet a 2Um. nail from the stomach of a 1 \vo and a-half-year-old hoy at tlie Gook Ilospital on Saturday. The child is Roger Openshaw, the son of L.A.C. J. E. Openshaw, a radio technician, who employed all his tecliii ica 1 skill and physical capacity in a race against time, construetiiig tlie. electro-magnet in aii attenipt to reinove ihe nail hel'ore it reached an inaccessihle/ point in the stomach. An eariier X-ray examiifation revealed Ihe presenee of the nail, which (he hospital authorities cndeavoured to pass tlirough tlie bowel. Facod^ with Ihe prospect of an operation fo'r tlie removal of Ihe nail, the father, aided hy other radio opcrators at thc Gis horne air radio station, experimented with rnagncfs, samples of which they submilted to the hospital authoritier who encouraged and assistcd their work. After two iiights of constani work he consti'uetod an electro-magnet small enough to pass down the child'.--gullet into the stomach and strong enough to exert a pull to ext.ract the nail. A meter and controls were necqssarv to balance the flow of eurrent . from a battbry to prevent the coil bnrning'ont at a critiical moment. L.A.C. Openshaw wafehed the crucial , test of the apparatus On the child on Saturdav, a doctor controlling the eurrent while another watohed the progress of the magnet through an X-ray, screen. Tt was a long chance that eame off. said the father after tlie- extraetion of ihe nail. The child rotnrned home yesterdav shov'uo- no ill effects.