Swallowing swords: a less dangerous occupation than it seems

Although one might think that apart from the death penalty, swallowing swords is accompanied by considerable medical risks, Whitcomb claims "only a few deaths related to sword swallowing have been reported"

Stephen Mirsky
“It seems that swallowing swords is dangerous.” So begins a short article in the British Medical Journal of November 5, 2005. One danger, according to the article's author, radiologist Brian Whitcomb, was a death sentence. This was the result of swallowing swords in the days of the Inquisition, so this practice became associated with mysticism, and mysticism was associated with execution. Imagine that pushing a metal blade down the throat brings enlightenment.
Although one might think that apart from the death penalty, swallowing swords carries considerable medical risks, Whitcomb claims "only a few deaths related to sword swallowing have been reported." "One Canadian sword swallower did die, but it was after swallowing an umbrella." And as we know, opening an umbrella behind closed doors brings bad luck.
The 2005 article notes that anecdotal reports of injuries are common in the sword-swallowing community, but a detailed report of the common risks associated with the occupation is left to the medical community. This gap in the scientific literature is now closed. Whitcomb and his co-author Dan Mayer, director of the International Association of Sword Swallowers (SSAI), conducted a survey of practitioners and reported the results in the December 23, 2006, issue of the British Medical Journal.
The article presents an eye-opening and gut-wrenching picture of "one of the authors" who swallows seven swords at the same time (which prevents him from sharpening his tongue) and then helpfully identifies this author as Dan Meyer and not as Whitcomb.
In any case, Whitcomb and Meyer contacted 110 SSAI members and received helpful responses from 46 people who collectively swallowed more than 2,000 swords during the three months leading up to the questionnaire. The authors "omitted injuries related to the ingestion of objects other than swords, such as glass, a fluorescent light, a rifle barrel, or a drill".
One common complaint was a sore throat, aptly named "stabs" in the throat. Less common, but more serious, problems included perforations in the pharynx and esophagus, an injury that qualifies as the definition in the Ha'a News for the term occupational risk. One of the members, perhaps trying to upgrade his performance to a full-sized sword, needed "a knife to cut bread from the stomach." And it's better than sticking a bread knife in the stomach.
"Some experienced artists add embellishments to increase the danger," the authors write about the elite sword swallowers. "One of them sometimes appears riding a unicycle." A show that could one day yield the best puncture (woodpecker) story of all time. Another swallow works underwater, perhaps in a futile attempt to sharpen the blade.
In fact, light lubrication is necessary for this entire blade insertion initiative. "The clean sword is usually polished, at least in saliva," say the authors. One featured used butter," clearly unaware of the health hazards of saturated fats. "Another swallow had to retire due to dry mouth, or sore mouth, caused by taking medicine. Therefore, expect a lawsuit if the list of side effects did not also include "early end of a career by swallowing swords".
Although medical literature, until now, has only included occasional reports of injuries associated with sword swallowing, sword swallowers themselves have actually played an important role in medical history. "For example," Whitcomb wrote in a 2005 article, "a sword swallower helped Dr. Kosmol of Freiberg develop a rigid endoscope in 1868 using a tube, mirrors, and a gas lamp." Well, thanks to sword swallowers, doctors have learned to stick their patients with other things besides the bill.
However, the 2006 article mentions that although none of the SSAI members died of their art, some of them may have done so after running up the medical bill, which in one case reached $70,000. Well, you try to get medical insurance after you have written "swallowing swords" in the profession field on the application form.
But deep down, we are all connected to swallowing swords. Each of us has to swallow unpleasant things every day. But I am happy to do it as a reporter, because the pen is sharper than the sword. And much smaller.

Written by: Steve Mirsky. From the August-September issue of Scientific American Israel