I shot my finger with an airgun

Dr Abe V Rotor

I bought an airgun from a classmate in high school, the Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion (CIC Vigan) for fifty pesos, a good amount then, circa 1955. I was loading the pellet, when I dropped the rifle, and on hitting the ground, went off. The bullet pierced through the fleshy tip of my left forefinger. I tried to remove it but to no avail, so I went to the municipal doctor. There was no anesthesia available, and when I could no longer bear the pain, he simply dressed the wound and sent me home.

These vintage air rifles were popular in our time in the fifties (Internet). 

My wound soon healed, and the lead pellet was to stay with me for the next five years or so, when I finally decided to go for an operation. Had it not been for my playing the violin, and playing basketball, I would not have bothered to do so. And it was providential.

Our family doctor in Vigan, performed the operation. A mass of tissues snugly wrapped around the pellet, isolating its poison. He told me I was lucky. There are cases of lead poisoning among war veterans who bore bullets in their bodies.

There are providential things we should be thankful about.

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