It is difficult to determine the frequency of foreign bodies in the air and food passages in general, however it is safe to say that this condition is more common than many suppose. Such foreign body cases have occurred in my own practice more often than those with either typhoid fever or diabetes. In an analysis of a large series Graham1 finds that 66 per cent., or approximately two-thirds of all foreign bodies in the air and food passages, occur in infants and children. The bad habit of putting objects into the mouth accounts for most of these accidents. The pediatrician cannot warn parents too frequently of this danger because, as Jackson2 states, nearly 90 per cent, of the foreign intruders are due to carelessness that is avoidable. Because of the nature of the treatment and the seriousness of these accidents, the diagnosis is most important.
The diagnosis