Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-10-09
CHANGING COLOR.
Mulatto Woman Turning White and G
White Woman to q Darker Hue.
New York Sun.l

BRIDGEPORT, August 1.-With
the exception of an irregularly-
shaped dark spot on each cheek,
Mrs. Samuel J. P. Miles, of this
city, would easily pass for Cau-
casian. And yet she was born n
mulattO, as scores of people who
have known her all her life are
ready to testify. Each of the spots
is about the size of a silver dollar,
and about the color Gf a dark cop
per cent. The rest of her face is "A
positive white, of somewhat lead
en- hue, while her hands and arms
are unnaturally white, showing
not the slightest trace of either II
dark or ruddy tint. The case has
excited much interes. among Mrs.
Miles's acquaintances, especially
on the part of the colored people
who know her, and among the doc
tors. They have seen her gradual
| ly growing whittier from year to
year, until it seemed to be merely
u question of time when she would
| be transformed into white wo-
man. Some Of the colOred people
say that they have heard of SIM
liar cases before, and that it is an uu-
varying rule that when one OF their
race becomes wholly white death
speedily ensues.
Mrs. Miles herself is not less dis
| tressed than puzzled over the mys-
| terious change. She has repeated
| ly consulted doctors since it began,
| to see if the process could not be
checked, and has been heard to say
that she would give $4,000, or any
sum she might ever possess, If she
could only be restored to hes ma
tural color. Her husband, u full
blooded negro. is whitewasher
and preacher. They have two
chill iren whose complexion 10 of q
rather darker shade than that of y
mulatto. Mrs. Miles herself is u
pleasant and mild spoken woman,
of ladylike and intelligent appear
ance, and ia about thirty years of
age, Her hair has slight kinki-
ness, but hardly enough to attract
attention. She Is very sensitive
about the color change she has un-
dergone, and can not easily be in
duced to talk about it. it began,
she says, about twelve years ago,
after she had recovered from n Sc
we're bilious attack, to which she
was subject. She had suffered from
these attacks since, but her general
health was good.
"How did the change come out?o
the visitor asked.
"First,u replied Mrs. Miles,
"there came out white spot on
one wrist. 1T kept growing, en-
larging so fast that l could see II
spreading from day to day. Soon
a spot of the same kind appeared
on the other wrist, and both kept
extending upwards until they
spread completely over my arms
and face, except for these two spots
that you see. The extension of the
spots over these parts of my body
took only about two months, bul
the skin affected has steadily been
growing whittier and the dark spots
on my face smaller. 1 suppose
those now left will entirely disap'
pear in time"
Mrs. Miles said that excepting
her arms her body below the neck
retained Its natural color. III fell
badly about the change at first" "
she went on, mot only because
wanted to keep my color, but be-
: cause I was afraid that it woult
affect my health. 1t hasn't seemed
to do this, and the doctors told me
that probably IL would not. But
3 they couldn't seem to explain wha
! caused the change, and did not ap'
, pear to think they could cure me
!, They told me 1t WAS some peculla
3 skin disease they did not know
: much about, but thought likely /
came from my liver"
Several physicians with whom
r the writer talked said PRACTICAL,
the same thing. "rhe suhjec
isn't treated OF much, II at all, IL
y the medical books" said he, tam
+ I don't think 1t has ever. beel
= made a matter of special study
About all you can say 10 that tn