The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-23
THE DOCTORS PUZZLED.
Strange Experience Of ltnn In Whose
Stomach IN Unknown Animal Existed
for Fifteen Years.

| The DUCIUkS fUAALED'
Strange Experience of Man In "hose
Stomach nm Unknown Animal Existed
for Fifteen Ycnrs.
In big bottle in his house at 994
New Market street, says the Philadel.
phia Times, Frederick Markoe has
something preserved in alcohol. A few
davs ago the something, instead of being
in the big bottle, was in Frederick Mar
koe, and the occurrences that led to its
change of residence have made the peo.
pie up in the sixteenth ward excited and
talkative. Fifteen years ago, during the
war, Frederick Markoe was in the army
and fought during the Peninsula cam
paign under Mcclellan. Upon several
occasions, when marching through
marshes, and when burning with thirst,
Markoe ran to the muddy pools of water
that abounded about the line of march,
and, kneeling at the brink, drank deep
ly of the Shiny contents. After the war
had ended and the army had been dis.
banded, Markoe returned to his Phila-
delphia home, and for the first time in
his life experienced symptoms of a
chronic disease. At frequent intervals
large lump would make it's appearance
in the region of his stomach, and in the
center of the uncomfortable mass he
could feel something twisting and turn
ing. Heretofore he had been remark
ably sound sleeper, but now his family
was awakened at night by noises in his
chamber, and upon entering it they
would find Markoe fiat upon the floor,
and, though still asleep, wriggling over
the carpet with the aid of nothing but
his hands. When awakened he would
express surprise that he was not lying
in bed, and could offer no explanation
of his strange conduct. Before enter.
ing the army he at times accompanied to
the Delaware wharves on Saturday
nights companions who wished to take a
dive into the river, but he could not
swim, and no inducement could prevail
upon him to enter the water. About the
time, however, that the other strange
symptoms developed themselves in him,
he went to the wharf, one Saturday
night, with some friends, and declared
that he thought he could swim as we'll
as any of them. he plunged into the
water, and, to bis friends amazement,
swan vigorously and gracefully about,
SURPRISING all of them in rapidity and
endurance. It was noticed, however,
and commented upon, that he did not
use the ordinary stroke of ordinary peo-
pie, there being a peculiar wriggling
motion perceptible in his body. When
asked where he had acquired such a
peculiar style, Markoe positively de.
clared that never before in his life had
he swan, and that he had just felt that
be could support himself i'll the water
as we'll as any one else. No amount of
argument or banter ever induced him to
depart from his original tale. Another
thing peculiar about Markoe at this
time was the fact that while his appe-
tite became really ravenous yet his
frame became more spare. What he ate
seemed to do him but little good. His
family became alarmed and sent for a
doctor. Markoe told the physician
about the lively lump in his stomach,
the peculiarities of his appetite and his
continued ill-health. He was told that
he had severe attack OF dyspepsia. and
for this disorder he was treated. Medi-
cine, however, failed to relieve him of
his troubles, and for thirteen years the
peculiar symptoms that first made their
appearance after the close of the war
have continued in their original aggra'
vated shape, and during that long time
the bed.chamber scene has been re-en-
acted many times, and Markoe displayed
strong desire to be in the water. In
the hope of regaining his health, he
went to Cape May with the intention OF
remaining week or two. The first day
of his visit, while bathing in the surf,
breaker took him unawares, threw him
upon his back and forced him to swal-
low quantity OF salt water. He in
stantly became very sick, vomiting
and retching severely, but swig of
brandy somewhat restored his stomach's
tone. Directly afterward, in speaking
to friend of the occurrence, Markoe
said that while sick he had distinctly
felt movement in his throat as though
something was trying to crawl up and
had dropped back at every effort The
friend suggested that possibly there was
something in Markoe's stomach that
should not be there, and that it would
be an excellent idea to take another
draught of salt water and see if be could
not rid himself of the foreign matter.
Markoe said he would follow the advice.
That night he did not awaken his bed
companion by crawling over the floor.
The following morning he again went IN
bathing and purposely swallowed some
salt water. Again he was taken sick.
He declared that he suffered 30 much
that he was determined to return home
and see his physician. He came back
to Philadelphia and sent for DIR. Nor
ton, who administered medicine to him.
For fifteen hours his sickness, accom-
panied by very frequent vomiting, con-
tiuued. At the end of that time large
object left his mouth, and Markoe
said he felt very much better. When
the doctor came he carefully examined
the object and at once pronounced it to
be large water lizard. It was four
and three.fourths inches in length and
as thick as mans forefnger.
"You see," said the doctor, "this is
a fresh.water lizard, and the salt water
killed it. You couldn't expect fresh
water lizard to live in salt water. That's
nonsense"
"What I want to know" said Markoe,
who had been looking at the thing with
eyes wide open, "is, how did that thing
get into me?"
The doctor, in order to reply to this,
examined Markoe closely as to all the
happenings of years past, and finally
came across the drinking of marsh water
during the Peninsula campaign.
"That's it," said the doctor, triumph
antly. "We've hit it, now. You swal-
lowed that lizard when it was smaller
than pin, in the marsh water. For
fifteen years it has been growing inside
of you and fattening upon what you
should have fattened on"
"And that" said Mrs. Markoe, ''ex-
plains your big appetite and the lump
in your stomach and your crawling on
the floor"
"And my swimming 80 we'll without
lesson" said Markoe "but still I
don't think that thing is lizard"
"Ill consult high authority" said the
doctor, and so the thing was placed in a
bottle containing alcohol and taken away
to the University of Pennsylvania. The
professors there said that nothing OF the
kind had ever been seen or heard of by
them before. The savants at the Franklin
Institute were also nonplussed, = and could