The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-04-05
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[New York world.1


| New York world.I
Harlem has a sensation in the person
of a negro girl named Hattie Brown, who
is supposed to be suffering from the pres
ence of live animal of some kind, as
yet unknown, in her intestines. Arepor-
ter of the World called on her physician,
DR.. Demarest, of No. $50 East One Hun
dred and Twenty-fourth Street, and
learned the particulars of the case,
which he had cleaned from the girl her
self and from a careful examination
made. He was called in early to attend
Hattie, who is described as being about
twenty-five years old, fairly educated,
and having a slight figure and prepos-
sessing features. She resides at No. 1873
East One Hundred and Twentieth Street
with her mother and aunt, and the fam
lily are all dressmakers.
Between five or six years ago Hattie
attended a picnic, and during the day
drank some water from running stream,
and now, she says, remembers noticing
that she swallowed some object of ap-
preciable size, though it was forgotten
almost Immediately afterward and only
recalled when it was supposed that some
living creature had taken up its abode
in her body. Not long after this occur
renee her health began to fail, and dis
ease of a curious nature fastened upon
her, which advanced with slow out Ger
tain steps for several years, until she
was finally incapacitated for work. She
gradually wasted away, grew weak, and
suffered apparently from a lack of vi
tality, and finally, remembering the in,
cident related above, concluded-which
is nothing new as a superstition among
negroes that she was suffering from the
presence of some living thing in her in
testines. Her theory was confirmed be-
forelong by her unwelcome tenant giving
unmistakable evidences of its presence by
periodically emitting distinct sounds
and moving itself from place to place.
The girl, having conceived the idea that
the parasite had its likes and dislikes,
and was aroused to greater activity, eaus-
ing her consequent pain, by her eating
or drinking certain things, and consult
ing her own comfort as we'll as that of
the parasite, regulated her diet accord
ingly. The object, whatever it may be,
at length grew to such size as to be plainly
discernible in her emaciated state as it
shifted its position from place 10 place in
the intestines, but if touched or at
tempted to be grasped, as she had several
times tried to grasp it, it would fly to
the other side of the body, its course be-
ing plainly discernible through the
abdominal walls. The sufferer attempted
several times to grasp in such way as
to be able to strangle it, but was always
unsuccessful. The voice of the creature
was variously described as resembling
the barking of puppy and a low,
gurgling sound, but when heard by the
physician resembled the "ker-chunk"
which accompanies the descent of bull
frog into puddle.
The case has been treated several times
as one of simple tenia or tape-worn, that
being tie natural conclusion reached by
physicians whom she has heretofore con-
suited from her statement of the diff
Guilty, but she now says that she with
held the truth from them and refused to
submit to an examination through fear
that they would desire to perform an
operation upon her. The remedies
usually prescribed for tape-worm were
given her, but were never accorded
fair trial, and her case went from bad to
worse. Liquor in large quau titles was
tried in the effort to destroy the supposed
interloper, and in the hope of reviving
her shattered system. Itwas observed that
enormous quantities of liquor would
have no effect upon the girl, who was
entirely unused to them, but would ap-
parently stupefy the parasite for time,
laudanum and opium having the same
effect. But when the effects had passed
away the parasites movements were
conducted with such increased vigor,
and its restlessness caused the patient
such intense pain, that their use was dis
continued. When she takes food the
parasite comes up close to the pit of the
stomach, and she claims that she can dis
tinctly "feel it swallow"
DR.. Demarest says he saw with his own
eyes and heard with his own ears the
movements and voice of the interloper.
A careful examination failed to detect
any signs of any other trouble or disease
about the girl, and if this trouble were
removed he thinks she would be an ex-
ceptional healthy woman. Her appetite
is not greater than that of an ordinary
healthy person, the only thing wrong
about her being an extreme irregularity
of the bowels. He is firmly convinced
that the girl has living animal of some
sort in her intestines and equally sure
that it is not tape-worm. A case SO
unusual, of course, only leaves room for
expectant" treatment, as it is techni-
eally called. at least until something
further is developed. He does not, how
ever, entertain very sanguine hopes of
beneficial results from medicines, but
thinks that it will be necessary to open
the abdomen and cut the intestines in
order TO remove the intruder. This
operation, which is an exceedingly deli
cate one has been frequently performed
with satisfactory results in other diff
culties, and, DIR. Demarest thinks, can
undoubtedly be used as a means of set
tling the question of A." What is it~ and
of saving the girls life, if she can be in.
duced to consent to it.