Unusual Application of Obstetrical Forceps

To the Editor:—  This reports a proctologic procedure wherein a petroleum jelly jar was delivered from the rectum with the assistance of obstetrical forceps.

Report of a Case:—  At 9 AM, a 67-year-old man of average intelligence was massaging his "rear end" with a jar of petroleum jelly to relieve a bothersome itch. He "coughed and sneezed at the same time," which caused the rectum to relax and allowed the jar to slip in as he sat down at the edge of the bed. After this Rube Goldberg-chain reaction-rectal jar syndrome, the patient encountered difficulty in passing the newly adopted contents. After drinking copious amounts of sauerkraut juice, all that was accomplished was the discharge of watery movements, plus pain. After four hours of labor (breech presentations can cause problems), the patient notified me by phone that he had had a rectal accident and needed urgent care.Digital rectal examination