From the September 4, 1892 New York Times:

“St. Paul, Minn.–Miss Josie Letson of Minneapolis has been lying at the point of death at the Northwestern Hospital for the last six weeks, but, because of a remarkable surgical operation, will recover. She had taken nothing but liquid food for over a year and had become so weak and could not raise her head.

As a last resort, physicians, by the use of a stethoscope, located an obstruction in the esophagus about 2 inches below the clavicle, or collar bone. Miss Nelson was given an anesthetic and an incision was made on the left side of her neck about 1 1/2 inches in length.

The doctors dissected down to the aseophagus, opened it, and there found two teeth pointed downward, firmly inserted in the interior walls of the aesophagus. They almost entirely obstructed the passage.

Miss Nelson said that six years ago, while in a fit of laughter, she swallowed the two teeth, which were then attached to a triangular piece of rubber in her gums.”