E. N., a single man, aged 26, admitted to the St. Peter State Hospital, Jan. 3, 1927, had attempted suicide before admission, and made several attempts shortly afterward. Nothing abnormal was noted on physical examination except that the index finger on the right hand was missing. Urinalysis was normal and the blood Wassermann reaction was negative.
In the evening of January 21, the patient complained of pain in the chest and stated that he had straightened a large safety pin and stuck it into the chest. The position of the pin was revealed by a roentgenogram.
January 23, an exploratory operation was performed by Dr. C. J. Holman of Mankato, Minn. The third and fourth ribs on the left side were resected and the pleura was opened. After a prolonged search the end of the pin was located in close proximity to the pericardium. Whenever the pin was