Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-07-20
A Living Skeletons Death.

Martin P. Avery, who as living skeleton
has been one of the curiosities at Bunnell's
Broadway Museum, died last evening. He
was about 46 years old, and was native of
Chenango county, New York In early life
he was grocer in Il town near his native
place, and continued that business success
fully until his health failed about years ago.
He was a man of small stature being little
more than five feet in height, and his weight
was formerly about 115 pounds When his
health began to fail he complained of dys-
pepsia. The small amount of food he could
retain did not appear to be properly assim-
Hated and he rapidly lost flesh He wore
a full sandy beard and moustache, and with
his deep sunken cheeks and fair complexion
was more deathlike and cadaverous in APP
pearance than most living skeletons.
DR.. Franklin Smith, of No. 1872 Grand st.,
who attended him, said last evening: ii
was called to see Avery Oh Saturday even
ing and found him suffering great pain in
the epigastric region. He has suffered fire.
quently from these painful dyspeptic attacks
but he appears to have usually treated him.
by his side. He told me that he had
been treated many times for his dyspepsia.
He said he had lived on milk exclusively
for many years, but during Friday and Sat-
urday he had not been able to retain that
even in very small quantities. His habit
was to take 4 few spoonfuls of milk at short
intervals. He complained that for two or
three days past he had not been able to get
good milk, but that was probably notion
on his part due to depraved taste, the sign
OF the attack of dyspepsia which followed,
for there had been no ascertainable change
in the milk furnished him, and he was
given the best that could be got. I gave
him pepsine and bismuth and finally had to
add little opium to satisfy him. 1 tried
to get him to omit the opium, owing to the
severe reaction ofthat drug, but he insisted
Oh having it, gave him only about two
grains altogether. This morning his
pulse had fallen to 100 and he seemed
much improved. During the after
noon he said that he wanted to be
taken to the New York Hospital, and it
was arranged to have him sent there
this evening, but he died before the
ambulance arrived. His disease was, in
my opinion, due to failure of the pan
creatic secretion or al entire obiteration of the
thoracic duct, or both. There was. at any rate
no bowel digestion. No fatty matter was absorb
ed into the system, and the result was slow star
vatlon. There were 10 evidences of consumption
His weight ut the time Of his death was about
torty-tive pounds. Avery did not suffer from the
heat and when went to him Saturday evening
he had thick fannels on. Heat had to be supplied
to him altogether externally. His room was on
the corner of Broardway and Ninth street, OH the
third story. 1t was an airy, comfortable room
neatly furnished He preferred not to live with
the other human curiOsties. He talked to-day
about his life and showed that he had an unim-
paired memory and rather a bright intellect He
appeared to have much interest in himself as a
curiosity. 1t was his business, and the only thing
he seemed to have any enthusiasm about was him.
self as professional skeleton tried to get him
to take spoonful of brandy occasionally with his
milk, but he refused saying that he had frequent
ly tried that, but it did him no good. He took no
stimulants, nor did he use tobacco, and l found
that he was in no sense of the term addicted to
tho use of opium. ."-Nem York World