It is common for doctors to witness the most diverse scenes and somewhat eccentric personal situations. However, what they experienced in a hospital in the south of France was something unusual.
The medical team removed from the rectum of a 24 year old man a projectile dating from World War I (1914-1918), as reported by the French regional press.
The young man presented himself on the night of January 31 to February 1 in the emergency room of the Rangueil hospital, in Toulousecomplaining of back pain and claiming to have inserted an object into his rectum.
After his admission, a medical team performed emergency surgery and discovered the explosive lodged in the rectum of man due to circumstances yet to be clarified.
According to the newspaper The Dispatchthe projectile, calibre 37mm and of German manufacture, it measured about 16 centimeters long and four in diameter.
“Surgeons removed the object before alerting police, given its nature,” the newspaper reported.
Faced with the unusual and dangerous discovery, the hospital resorted to a bomb squad and fire brigadewho imposed a security perimeter. The device was then neutralized. “The operation went well. He was able to leave on Sunday morning,” the doctors reported.
When questioned by the police, the patient did not offer any further details about the reason for this unusual appearance, simply reported having ingested cocaine.
Possible complaint
Once the circumstances of this episode are clarified, the young man could be reported before Justice for possession of category A ammunition, subject to a maximum prison sentence of 5 years and a fine of up to 75,000 euros.
However, as reported The Dispatch who contacted he Toulouse tax was blunt: “We will not process itsince there is no criminal offense. The ammunition was demilitarized,” said David Charmatz.
It’s not the first
This is not the first time that in France a patient shows up at the hospital with a projectile in the rectum.
In December 2022, an octogenarian underwent surgery in a hospital in Toulon (southern France) when presenting this device in the anal passage. The medical center had to be evacuated as a precaution.
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