In 2022, a French hospital was forced to evacuate after an 88-year-old man arrived with an eight-inch artillery shell from World War One lodged in his rectum

In 2022, a French hospital was forced to evacuate after an 88-year-old man arrived with an eight-inch artillery shell from World War One lodged in his rectum. The elderly gentleman had inserted the shell for s*xual gratification. 

Doctors performed an incision into his rectum to remove the object, which was measured at 8 inches long (20cm) and over 2 inches wide (5cm).

The incident took place at Hospital Sainte Musse in Toulon, southern France. The hospital was evacuated as a precautionary measure, fearing the antique explosive could detonate. 

The bomb disposal experts were called in to assess the situation and they determined that there was little risk of the shell exploding inside the man. This allowed the doctors to proceed with the surgical removal of the object.

This was not an isolated incident. Just over a year prior to this event, a military memorabilia collector in the Gloucester area had a similar experience. He got a World War Two artillery shell stuck in his rectum after he “slipped and fell” while tidying up. The police and army were dispatched, but the projectile had been removed before officers arrived.

The shell that was lodged in the man’s rectum was a collector’s item from the First World War and was commonly used by the French military in the early 1900s. 

After the shell was safely removed, the hospital spokesperson confirmed that the man was recovering well and was in "good health".