A snake in her stomach

The St. John’s Herald, St. Johns, Ariz. June 24, 1899, page 1, newspapers.com

The Ralls County (Mo.) Record is responsible for this snake story:

Lizzie Young, colored, lives in Hannibal. She is 42 years old; married, yet childless. She was born on Spencer Creek, Ralls county, and was raised at Hydesburg. Thornt Fraizer was her master before she was set free. Dr. Johnson examined her with the X-ray at the hospital at Quincy not long ago and told her that she had a monster in her stomach, a full grown 4 foot moccasin which she was compelled to feed regularly in order to keep it from crawling into her throat and choking her to death. She was 12 or 13 years old when she first discovered the fact that there was something alive in her stomach, but her parents laughed at her, saying it was a foolish notion. When she was a young girl she had a habit of kneeling down at the spring or creek and drinking, and while so doing must have swallowed a small snake, which gradually grew to its present size. After the snake had grown to a pretty big reptile she dare not eat anything it did not like, for in case she did it would squirm around and give her great pain, crawling into her throat, compelling her to force it back with her hands. Recently she was operated upon and two buckets of water removed from her since which time the snake has been dormant. She thinks it is dead. Her general health is improving, and she hopes to recover. Perhaps this is another Elsie Verner case, and the snake has lived out its natural life. It is a problem for scientists.