Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-12-02
CHANGING COMPLEXION.
A White Child Suddenly Becomes
Thorough African.
TSt. Louis Globe D. mocrat.1

atten ling q case of a diseas'
that is so rare that the like Of i
has never been known, or, a
least, recorded in the medica
works. 1t is a case of real mel
anosis or fermentation, where
the pigment or melanin, as it ii
technically called, which gives
color to the hair and eyes per.
vades the entire body. A boy
(which had been born of white
parents, and perfectly natural
in color at its birth, turned I'M
der the disease as black as a full
blooded negro. 1t is certainly
one of the most remarkable
freaks of nature ever brought to
light, and it will attract the at
tention of the entire medical fra
ternity of the world.
The parents live in New Jer-
sey, the father, John Salter, be-
ing a mechanic. They were
married in December, 1876, the
woman at the time twenty years
of age, and the husband twen-
ty-eight. They are both of A
merican birth, the wife being of
English descent and the husband
of Irish extraction. Ten months
after the union of the couple
there was born to them a fine
and apparently healthy boy ba /.
by. The infant thrived aud
promised to develop into a ro-
bust boy. He was a beautiful
child, with fair complexion, dark
eyes, and silky, dark brown hair,
which grew in profusion. When
two weeks old he was taken to
a priest and christened, and all
friends attending that interest
ing ceremony complimented the
happy parents upon the beauty
and promise of the youngster.
But in a few days the parents
were alarmed at a change that
was overcoming the child. He
gradually grew dark. At first
his skin became a pale yellow,
then deepened into a saffron hue,
and then, to the terror of the
parents, grew darker yet. They
thought the boy was attacked
with jaundice, and turned to the
priest for advice. The good fa-
ther was astonished when told
that the dark-skinned boy be-
fore him was the beautiful, fair
boy be had christened but two.
weeks before. He saw that the
trouble was something worse
than jaundice, and advised the
afflicted parents to consult a
physician at once. This was
done, and various doctors pre-
scribed for the child, but the dis
ease was not checked. The
child grew darker and darker.
The color was uniform all over
the body, except at the joints,
where it was a little darker, and
at the palm Of the hands where
it was lighter.
The once fine, brown hair
grew stiff and jet black, and the
eyes also grew darker so that
the line between the pupils and
the iris could not be distinguish
ed. In spite of medical treat
nent the boy grew worse, and
became very weak, all the time
the color of his skin deepening.
At last he became as black as a
full-blooded negro. Then he
vas attacked by convulsions,
which grew more frequent and
Tiolent until they threatened the
child's life. 1t was in one of
these that DIR. Reynolds was
called in. He succeeded in GU
ing the spasms, and then devo-
ed his attention to the strange :
disease which afflicted the child.
He at once recognized it as mel
Inosis or pigmentation, which is
mentioned IN the books in a gen
,ral way, but there is no case
given where it had developed all
through the body. This was
over sixteen months ago, the
,hild being three years old.
Since that time the child has
greatly improved, by degrees,
becoming lighter, until he is now
If light chestnut-brown color.
The hair has once more become
brown and soft, and the eyes are
their natural appear
lnce. The parents of the boy
ire perfectly healthy, and the
mother now carries at her breast
! robust infant aged six months.
The father is a muscular man, of
Medium height, with black hair
md dark complexion. The
mother is of fair complexion and
las brown hair. 4
Since DR.. Reynolds has had
he case in charge the child has
,een visited by over two hum
lred physicians who all agree
hat it was a truly remarkable i
,ase.
Some people inherit faith and
re happy. And then again, ]
'thers inherit a brick block and {
re happier. Z