The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-03-10
A PETRIFIED CHILD

A PETRIFIED CHILD
An ExtraoraInary Case-A Little Boys
Flesh Growing Hard VEOOd-A Rare
aud FonderfuI Case Of n Disease WhOne
Cause is UnENnOsVn.
Icleveland Volce.l
An Interested class of students gath
cred in the main room of the Cleveland
Medical College yesterday afternoon to
witness what had been told them was
case of ScIer0deTmo. The majority of
them, when told at the morning clinic,
didn't know what sclerOdeTmlG was, and
Immediately hunted it up in their die
tionairies. They found it meant
" hardening of the skin" About two
o'clock, DIR. Darby, DIR. Bennit and DIR.
X. @. Scott fled into the lecture-rOom,
followed by a man about thirty years
old, who carried in his arms bright
looking little boy. From the appear
ance of the child's face, which seemed
natural, one would not have supposed
but that it was in perfect health. When
its Wraps were removed, however, 1T was
seen that the little hands were stiff and
rigid, and other parts of the body were
almost equally so. Upon touching the
skin it was found to be cold, rigid and
clammy. The child did not appear to
be suffering, and indeed it is said that
the disease is one that does not entail
pain.
The father of the child, Jacob Kresel,
who lives in New Philadelphia, ex-
planned to the class that the child was
two years and seven months old, and un-
til sixmonths ago, appeared to be enjoy
ing perfect health. 1t was not until a
month after the disease had begun
showing itself that it was discovered,
and the child was at once placed under
medical treatment, but without sue
cess. In the hope of meeting with some
physician who could effect cure, the
father had come to Cleveland.
DR.. Darby explained to the class that
Mr.. Knisely had come to him Friday,
and that he found the case so very ex-
trordinary that he decided to make it
the subject of lecture and examlna-
ton.
DR.. Bennit was then invited to ex-
plain the nature of the case, and the
remedy, if there was one. He said it
was a case of ScIerodern1d, or hardening
of the skin, including the loose con-
nectiYe tissue undermining the skin be-
tween that and the other tissue. 1t
consisted of dense white and yellow
gether and crowding all the other ele-
ments of the skin and other sub-cutsn-
eous tissue, narrowing the blood-vessels,
which supply nutrition to the parts,
and becoming dense in structure like
hard sOle-leather, with only meager
supply of blood. Recovery from this,
he said, was possible, but the general
tendency of the case was to continuance
and becoming worse. The skin APP
peared to be so compact as to give
woody hardness and stiffness to the
hands and feet, and an immobility
TO the Joints. 1t seemed not to affect
the outer layer of the skin or the mus
Cles beneath the skin. A disease like
this was sometimes found in children
at birth, but they generally did not sur
Vive long. The treatment in these
cases had never been attended with
marked success, though in a few cases,
patients seemed to have improved and
ultimately got we'll.
The course of treatment comprised
the internal use of cod liver oil, with
iOidide of potassium, with external fric,
ton and the use of oil and galvanism.
The cause, he said, was obscure, but
was supposed to be constitutional in the
child at the beginning. In middle and
old age it had been acquired, but the
nature of the cause had never been
clear. 1t had never usually been at
tended with pain other than that at
tended by attempted movements.
When DR.. Bennit had concluded his
talk, the students were invited to exam
inc the child, and as they pressed
around, the child began crying. 1t could
only move its lips and eyes, and the
sounds uttered seemed to be half sup
pressed. 1t is said that the child sleeps
with its eyes open, and in this position
presents a CHASTITY spectacle, having all
the appearance of a corpse. He moves
himself about on the floor in a sitting
posture, his hands aiding in his lOCOmo-
ton. He is able to move his limbs, the
muscles and joints being apparently I'M
affected. About year ago the child
became afflicted with "scald head " and
was treated with mercurial ointment.
A month after this the child's hands be-
came badly swollen, and it was after
this that the change in its skin became
noticeable.
Both the father and mother of the
child enjoy good health, and the Phys1-
clans say that the disease does not come
from any hereditary trouble The
mOJiler mas 0au TWO CulluTSu, anu bllS
other child is in perfect health.
DR.. Bennit says that cases like this
are exceedinly rare, and he doubts if
there ever has been a case where the
whole body was afflicted. But thirty
five cases are known in medical history.
The majority of these occurred after
middle life, and consisted simply of
small patches, generally on the breast,
which assumed that rigidity which is
seen on every part of the Knisely boys
body. Recovery is rare, but not i'm
possible. The present case is probably
the most pronounced ever known, and if
it yields to treatment will be a signal
proof of the efficacy of medical skill.
The skin, in this condition, may be
likened to that of an elephants, being
fully as tough, though having trans
parent appearance. 1t is about four
hftieths Of an inch in thickness, the
normal thickness of the skin being but
about One-fftieth.
Mr.. Knisely will remain here until he
learns definitely what can be done for
his boy. He is a hard-working man,
and the atiliction is a most severe one
beyond the sad feelings that must be
caused by the child's distressing condi-
ton,