Turtle In Stomach
Eau Claire Man Complained of Pains With Good Cause
Milwaukee Journal | June 5, 1901

Eau Claire- A snapping turtle three inches long from the tip of the tail to the tip of the nose, was vomited by a man who came to Dr. J. H. Noble complaining of pains. He supposed the patient swallowed the turtle when it was very small.

Chad’s Take- I am not surprised

This is simply a case of bad luck. Not only did this guy have a turtle playing around in his stomach, it also happened to be a snapping turtle. As strange and bizarre as this story seems to the modern reader, the Eau Claire man was not alone in his suffering. I also found a story from 1902 that told of a 96 year-old woman in La Crosse who vomited up a small live lizard. In order to fully appreciate how so many creatures were living in the people’s stomachs we have to consider the time period in which these stories occurred.

Keep in mind that in 1901 people were not dinking treated bottled water. In fact their water was not even purified by the city. The water they were drinking was water straight out of their own well, and that meant that sometimes tiny living creatures would get into their system. Also remember that in the past people used the lakes and rivers for more of their daily needs and recreation. Clothes would often be washed in the river, and kids would spend much more time swimming and frolicking in the natural waters since chlorinated pools were not an option. Of course while swimming and playing they would also ingest quite a bit of water into their stomachs, and that water could easily contain all sorts of strange living creatures. Actually looking back at just how long people have been using Half Moon Lake in Eau Claire, I am amazed that I did not find hundreds of stories of mysterious animals, fish, and other freaky unknown species living inside Chippewa Valley residents.

Keep an eye out.