An extract from Meadleys "Memorials of Scarborough." entitled "Singular occurrence" Page 154
Many years ago ago a strange incident and a wonderful recovery occurred on board a Scarborough vessel, of that kind named by seamen a snow - a vessel with two masts like a brig, and also just behind her mainmast a much smaller one, called a trysail mast, on which the hoops of the fore and aft mainsail run up and down, with an iron spike fitting into a socket at the bottom. By some means this miniature mast became unshipped on board the vessel and fell upon a seaman; the spike passed through his body and became fixed in the ship's deck. The poor fellow was taken to one of the London hospitals, and strange to say, with great attention he recovered. As a lasting memorial of so singular occurrence, the lower part of the mast, with the spike attached, was added to Dr Hunter's museum, belonging to the College of Surgeon's, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.