An Aubergine Story
Aubergine, eggplant, brinjal, baigan! Although it is related to the deadly nightshade, it is not really lethal, but can be, as this story will show. This berry, really a fruit, has been gaining grounds among gourmets the world over. When I arrived in London half a century ago, you listened to rumours from friends. A friend of a friend had espied some aubergines in a grocery in some obscure part of the capital. As a result, one organised an expedition, leaving home early on a Saturday, catching a bus and the underground and reaching the place two whole hours later, and finding that they are sold out. I cook it with potatoes and onions and thyme. I eat it once a week. My favourite dish is the aubergine pakora, which is slices of the vegetable wrapped in a batter of gram flower (chickpea flour) and deep-fried.
However, sadly, this story is not about something prepared in the kitchen. A 66-year old Japanese man carrying an unconventional experiment with a 20 cm long eggplant, ended up in hospital. No, he was not attempting to swallow
it, but had inserted it in an alternative opening. He had tried to remove it himself, but did the right thing when he realised that he might tear part of his anatomy. It took a team of ten specialists, having recourse to endoscopy to remove the unwanted object. The account I read did not mention if once removed the fruit/ berry/ vegetable was cooked and served.
It seems that similar medical interventions are not uncommon. The is a record of an Englishman who died after a vibrator got stuck in him. Expert advice is to go to a hospital directly if you are in the same situation.
