The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-08-19
From White to Black2
Philadelphia Press.

EVA OsoA oAAtCCn AuOuIuS past I'LL up"
town physician has been attending 4
case Of disease that is so rare that the
like Of it has never been known, or, at
least, recorded in medical works. It
Is case of real mclanosis or pigment
stion, where the pigment or mclanin,
as it is technically called, which gives
color to the hair and eyes, pervades tho
whole body. A boy born of white
parents, and perfectly natural in color
1T his birth, turned under the disease
as black as full blootlcd negro. 1t is
certainly one Of the most remarkable
freaks Of nature ever brought to light,
snd it will attract the attention Of the
entire medical fraternity Of the world.
The parents live at No. 1907 Lemon
street, thc father, John Salter, being .
mechanic. They were married in De-
eember, 1876, the woman at that time
90 years Of age, and the husband 28.-
They are both Of American 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 fine and ap-
parently healthy boy baby. The in-
fant thrived and promised to develop
into robus3 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 priest and chris
tened, and all friends attending that
interesting ceremony complimented
the happy parents upon the beauty
and promise Of the youngster. But in
few days the parents were alarmed at
remarkable change that was coming
over the child. He gradually grew
dark. At first his skin became a pale
yellow, then deepened into a saffron
hue, and then, to tho terror of the pa
rents, grew darker yet. They thought
the baby was attacked with jaundico
and turned to the priest for advice
The good father was astonished when
told that the dark-skinned child be-
fore him was tho beautiful, fair boy
no had christened but two weeks be-
fore. He saw that the trouble was
something worse than jaundice, and
advised the afflicted parents to consult
Z physician at once. This was done,
and various doctors prescribed for tho
child, but the disease was not checked,
The child grew darker and darker
The color was uniform all over the
the body, except at the joints, where it
was little darker, and at the palms Of
the hands where it was lighter.
The once fine, brown hair grew stiff
and jet black, and the eyes also grew
darker, 80 that the line between the
pupils and the iris could not be dis
tinguished. In spite of medical treat
ment the boy grew worse, and became
very weak, all the time the color of
his skin deepening. At last he became
as black as full blooded negro. Then
he was attacked by commissions, which
grew more frequent and violent until
they threatened the child's life. It
was in one Of these that DR.. Reynolds,
Of Eighteenth and Poplar streets, was
called in. He succeeded in curing the
spasms, anu then devoted his attention
to the strange disease which afflicted
tho child. He at once recognized it a.
melanosis or augmentation, which is
mentioned in tho books in O general
way, but there is no case given where
It had developed all throug gh the body.
This was over sixteen months ago, tho
child being thirteen months old. Since
that time the boy has greatly improv-
ed, by degrees becoming lighter until
he is now of a light chestnut brown
color. The hair has once more become
brown and soft, and the eyes have re-
gained their natural appearance. The
parents Of the boy are perfectly heal
thy, and the mother now carries at her
breast robust infant aged months.
The father is q muscular man, of me-
dunn height, with black hair and dark
complexion. The mother is of fair
complexion, and has brown hair.
Since DIR. Reynolds has had the case
In charge the child has been visited by
over two hundred physicians, who all
agreed that it was a truly remarkable
case.