Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, large silver medal (R.H.S. Do. R. Hunter vitam ob restitutam dono dat 1811) unmounted, in scuffed Warrington, London case of issue, minor edge bruising, some contact marks, very fine £250-300

R.H.S. Case 7450. ‘To J. Beaumont, Esq., Richmond Green, May 2, 1811’


‘Sir,

This afternoon I was requested to see Harriet Sculstrop, a child five years old, who was said to be choked; I found a gentleman’s assistant with her on my arrival, but nothing had been tried to restore animation, which was completely suspended; the only account given me was, that the child was playing with others, and that she had several currants and gooseberries in her hands when attacked, and that she was seen to put one or more in her mouth, about the time she was seized with a little cough, and fell lifeless to the ground. .... the glottis was repeatedly stimulated by passing my finger into it, .... by perseverance in this method, an imperfect effort was produced to remove the obstruction, or to perform respiration .... this effort was with very great difficulty continued; but the livid countenance little improved, and no pulse was to be felt at the wrist. I again stimulated the mouth of the trachea in the hope of producing greater effort in the lungs, but without effect, for the difficult and imperfect respiration continued; I also passed a large bougie down the œsophagus, supposing that the trachea might be partially compressed from some lodgement in the passage to the stomach, but none was discovered. The pulse was now distinguishable at the wrist, but the breathing yet laborious, and incompletely performed; evident marks of partial suffocation still remained. Two grains of the tartrite of antimony in solution were given as soon as deglutition could be performed, which, in a very short time produced an effort to vomit, but nothing was brought up; immediately after the exertion, the animal functions again became suspended in every respect, and I conceived the vital spark was gone never to return. I proposed the operation of bronchotomy, which I intended performing on the arrival of my friend Mr Smith, a respectable practitioner; .... she was put in the warm bath, and remained in it about ten minutes .... Mr S. now arrived; the child had not been, nor was she in the least degree sensible, great difficulty in breathing continued, .... four ounces of blood were taken from the arm, and the moment the orifice was made, she cried out for the first time, and instantly became sensible; I asked her what was the matter ... and she replied in a hoarse whisper, ‘’She had been choked with a gooseberry”. From this period (55 minutes from the time of taking the emetic) she breathed comfortably; an anema was ordered to be administered; but before it was prepared, the emetic operated copiously; with the contents of the stomach (which was much loaded), four or five currants were observed, but no gooseberries. During the evening and night she repeatedly became insensible, ... the breathing oppressed; the first attack was about two hours after bleeding, when I saw her, and put her again in the warm bath, which evidently afforded relief. The amema produced a large evacuation, and she now appeared likely to have a good night. In the morning, I found she had had six attacks similar to that in the evening, but less violent; before the fit came on she appeared greatly distressed, and asked for water, but was afraid to drink it, and made efforts of defence with her hands, so as to remove the cause of alarm from her throat; .... at four in the evening, she had another attack, which was the last; from this time she became composed, the bowels have three or four times moved by calomel and scamony; she had a good night; and the next morning was free from complaint, but remained very weak.

Richard Hunter’.