Killed by Lighting a Match

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 27, 16 August 1884, Page 3

Killed by Lighting a Match

Thfirej arc, people to be met with who have the habit of igniting matches by striking- them with their finger nails wh>n ; no other convenient way presents itself. To any such, the circumstances under which a young French* gentleman has just lost bis life ought to serve as a wan ing-. He had entered a train at the Orleans railway terminus, and wishing to light a-cigarette^ be ignited a iucifer match with his thumb nail. A particle ofthe burning phosphorus got under thft nail whilst doinir so; but no attention was pail to the trivial circumstance at the moment, and it w*s only air-tomr or so later, when acute . paiiivaocompaniedby spelling of the wVfsran^ arm, set in; that uneasiness was left. 'o*. e traveller finding that his sufferings^ were becqmiug intolerable, aligjb-twl at the next station whore, the train stopped, and a doctor was sent for, who on examining the patient's arnry declared immediate amputation, was necessary. The young man could hot resign himself to thift; terrible operation ; his. friends > were 'apprised iby of ' what-; had occurred* and arrivod three hours later. During this »*brief interval, j liowever, tbe situatfpn had changed for the worse ; ' medical men gave ias their opinion that; even amputation could not now save > tin lite of , the patient, who expired a. victim. to ; his imprudencie -witbin, Q4 hours atter he had started nn his -journey. <•' - ■