Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-01-13
A Singular Disease -BlOOd-sweating'

A CASE for the consideration of a
clinic of frst-class medical talents, says
the Chicago Inter- Ocean, was yesterday
developed on the West Side by a curl
osity loving reporter. 1t is a genuine
case of "blood-sweat," called in the
medical annals purpura h@morrhagia.
Willie Crawford, an interesting boy,
fourteen years of age, the son of Capt.
William Crawford, we'll known as the
master of the tug Crawford, is the victim
of this strange disarrangement of the
physical functions. The family reside
at No. Sc Seely Avenue, and consists of
Capt. Crawford, his wife and three
Young daughters, and the afflicted boy
Willie. Ali of the family except the one
invalid are pictures of perfect health.
The boy was born December l, 1866,
and up to seven years ago was as healthy
as his sisters now are. One night he
woke up and called his mother, who
found him bleeding at the nose. The
flow of blood was prOfuse, and could not
be checked by the ordinary means, so a
physician was called. The doctor pro-
nounced it a case of "nose-bleed," !" and
said the application of key or some
cold substance to the back would stop
it. The means suggested were tried
without avail. Another physician
was called and the nose-bleeding was
stopped, and there then came
out on the boys body large black
matches. and blood exuded from them.
Blood also flowed from his stomach and
kidneys. The boy eventually recovered
from the first attack, but others soon
followed, and he was constantly under
the care of physicians. During the
later attacks blood has issued from all
parts of the afflicted boys body, and
large blotches or patches of black, blue
and red appeared all over his per-
son, and blood from them freely,
and also from the pores of his skin all
over the surface of the body. Small
drops came out and completely satu-
rated the boys clothing, his blood be-
came thin and watery, and he was near"
" exhausted. Three weeks ago yester-
day he was taken with the most serious
attack of any. The gums, mouth and
tongue were covered with blood blisters;
the whites of the eyes were bloodshot,
and fears of the patients death were en-
tertained. The boy states that he al
ways has cold or fever just before the
attack of bleeding comes on. Some
times sudden revuBion Of feeling or ex-
element brings them on. Once when
he was on his fathers tug, and there
was danger of collision, he began to
bleed. Another time he had an alarm
ing attack, and his mother went for the
doctor, and while she was gone the
hired girl tainted, and, the boy
becoming somewhat frightened,
the bleeding stopped. The boy is very
intelligent, and, when not dishglred by
the disease, very good-looking, his skin
being fair and apparently as healthy as
the cuticle of any ordinary person. The
singular case has received the attention
and treatment of a large number OF
physicians, who have tried various sys-
TENS of treatment, but with no perma-
nent success. Various medical works,
as well as the writings of Theophrastus
ana ArlSUOLle anu Obu6E PuhOoOPA0t09
contain mention of human beings who
have undergone "blood sweatings."
Most of the cases chronicled were caused
by strong mental excitement, such as
the case Of Partisan convict, who, on
hearing that the death sentence had
been passed upon him, broke out into a
bloody sweat. The name p0Tp@rG
hgmOTrbogtd is applied to the disease by
the modern disciples of Galen DR.. W.
H. Burt, who has treated the patient in
the last attack, says the medical name
of the ailment implies primary disease
of the blood-vessels of their walls, and
that in their present case it is a disease
of both. The doctor has effected q tenn
porary cure by administering secale and
phosphorus in homeopathic doses. He
can not predict when his patient will
have another attack, and hopes he will
eventually outgrow the disease.
GEN. w. W. VOOLFOLK, who served |
in the Florida and other Indian wars,
L L. Il anA