Can you imaging what it is like to swallow your tongue? Or are you one of those unlucky individuals who have already had this horrifying experience?
Today, we are going to take a look at some old accounts of people who have swallowed their tongues, and how they were saved by some very brave people.
Saved During Blinding Snowstorm
In February, 1914, Nicolo was hit by a car, thrown into a snowbank, and swallowed his tongue. According to a newspaper report:
“Luckily for him two doctors were also in the smashup. They found him choking to death and saved his life by working on him with their fingers in the dark during a blinding snow storm. While one held his head, the other managed to grip his tongue and draw it forth.”
The Topeka State Journal. Topeka, Kansas, 14 Feb. 1914.
Saved By Coach
There are numerous accounts of athlete’s swallowing their tongues, from footballer to baseball players, young men were constantly getting injured before safety issues were addressed. For now, let’s take a look at a basketball player.
A high school basketball player was in play when he jumped for the ball and then, just as suddenly, fell to the floor, semi-conscious, and showing signs of being unable to breathe.
The 1935 article tells us that:
“Rushing onto the floor, the coach discovered Dean’s tongue was flipped backward as if swallowed. The coach pulled the lad’s tongue back into position, and after a moment’s rest, Dean went back into the game.”
What a champ!
The Daily Alaska Empire. Juneau, Alaska, 09 April 1935.
Lineman Electrocuted
In 1917, a New York Power Company lineman got the shock of his life while putting up the primary wires. He accidentally touched a live wire carrying a current of 2,300 volts. The articles goes on to say that:
“A lineman immediately took hold of the ankles of the limp body, lifting it until the whole weight rested on the neck, and letting it fall. He then took a pair of connectors and hammered the soles of the injured man’s feet without removing his shoes. Another lineman opened the man’s mouth, pulled forward the swallowed tongue, and the man returned to life.”
Meade County news. Meade, Kan., 04 Oct. 1917.
Policeman Saves Boy
A policeman became a hero in 1948 when he saved the live of a 2-year-old boy.
According to the mother, the boy was eating an apple in front of their house when a neighborhood child hit the boy in the chest with an iron pole. The boy choked and swallowed his tongue.
The boy’s parents panicked and, not knowing what else to do, the father picked up the boy, now turning blue, and started to run with him to the local doctor’s office. Fortunately, Private Bradford McClendon heard the commotion and came running from his own house.
McClendon grabbed the boy from the father, stuck his fingers into the boy’s mouth, and straightened out his tongue.
The article tells us that:
“Pvt. McClendon, who served in the Navy during the war, said he had received much training in emergency first aid there. He also had learned a lot in the recruit training program of the Police Department.”
Evening Star. Washington, D.C., 02 Oct. 1948.
A Few Days Later
Less than a week after the above happened, a second case of tongue swallowing appeared in the Evening Star. And, once again, it was a policeman who saved the day.
Private Robert G. Kissner was with his wife, shopping in a grocery store when he noticed saw a toddler bouncing up and down in a stroller. While the toddler’s mother was busy at the fruit counter, the toddler fell out of the stroller and landed on its head.
The toddler began to choke and Kissner, not wasting a single second, grabbed the toddler from its mother, held it upside down, and stuck his fingers in its mouth. He retrieved the toddler’s swallowed tongue and the toddler let out a bellowing cry.
The day was saved.
Evening Star. Washington, D.C., 08 Oct. 1948.
