Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-02-19

| OLD ALGERIAN SOLDIER.
Paris letter in Ne, York Graphic
DR.. Paul Regnier, physician who has
become much noted for MS treatment Of the
scgul1 of diseases which result from injudi-
cious treatment of diseases, has at present a
very peculiar patient who may reasonably
be called human thermometer. He is an
old Algerian soldier named Louis Lamarck
who contracted liver disease in the service,
became addicted to the use of mercury, and,
even after he was pronounced cured, kept
up the habit of taking that mineral remedy
for several years. At the Paris medical
colleges | have seen the shin-bone of man
whe died of similar over-treatment ratified
on the table, when clObules of mercury
would run from it as if while living, he had
actually been surcharged with the metal
\ more singular result has occurred in the
| case of Lamarck, which seems, in its way,
likely 10 become rs celebrated as that of Alexis
| St. Martin. 1t is common circumstance
for people TO be troubled with meteorological
corns, which warn them of the approach of
storms as certainly as any signal service
could do, and it Is 4 notorious fact that rheu-
matte patients Especially those much doc
torcD have their aches and pains clearly
marked in different seasons of the year.
Poor Lamarck Is worse off. DR.. Eegnier
tells me that there IS no doubt that the mer-
curry he has taken exists in its natural form
in his body, ana expands and contracts with
variation of temperature in precisely the
same way that the metal does in thermome-
ter. The average temperature of the hut
am body Tor males is 9S degrees Fahrenheit;
Nv Iona Ia. i -sf,1 half
hut this steady heat, which i kept up in a
healthy condition, is the result Of chemico-
physiological action, which in morbid con
diuons Is yariously affected. In winter and
summer a thermometer placed IN the axilla
viii mark its 9N in ordinary human beings;
unfortunately for Lamarck he is eztraor-
dinary Even the warmth of bedcloths will
put him into such a condition that be can
not rise till he has found his normal mark
his - temperate. 50 u say-which is
trife above 9S. lis sight Is greatly affected,
ana his eyes have a singular metallic CLEAN,
somewhat ike the hue of plumbag) newly
cut. When the room in which he sits is at
9l3 he sees distincly and can read the small
est type, but when the temperature rises
above or falls below this point ho loses all
the distinc;ness of the type. and at ~ : be
comes totally blind. In a similar manner
his taste and hearing are affected He loses
taste at % :, and touch at 20 : Hearing
seems the most difficult Of his senses TO affect,
though Mt any marked variance from his
" temperate he complains of drumming IN
lis ears. or sensation as if a fly were buzz
iac in them. Most curious. in physiolog- |
ical point Of view, Is the effect of tempera-
tura on his sense Of touch. \ ball of iron,
heated sufficiently jd-t not to disintegrate
the Ae>h. seems cllI If made cold it seems
Lot. Exposed to the air on a winter morn
in-, Yl0r Lamarek becomes utterly rigid and !
unable to move his muscles at all. There |
are small hopes Of his living long, but while /
he doe- live he viii be the great physiological /
study uf tie day.