Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-12-20
THINNER THAN A RAIL.
Sprague. the Living Skeleton, Aston
ishes and Amuses Some
Medical Students.
Chicago Herald.

Chicago Herald.
The Dime Museum living skeleton Isaac
| E. Sprague. whose weight is fifty pounds
! age forty-two years, and height five feet
| five and half inches, was the subject of a
/ clinic yesterday afternoon at Rush Medical
College, by DR.. II. NJ. Lyman, Professor OF
! Nervous Diseases, about 300 students wit
Messing the examination and listening to
the Doctors explanation. Sprague took a
seat in a chair, having pair of black vel
vet trunks on, the body above the waist
and below the hips being exposed. He is,
literally speaking, mass of skin and bones,
and so light that his attendant easily car
ried him into the amphitheatre, and moved
! him about as occasion required. DR.. Ly-
man first called attention to the scapultp
projections or irregular flat bones forming
the shoulder blades which stood out very
prominently, and their movement could be
plainly seen on the subject, who said he
was not able to walk, but could support
himself on one leg-the right and could
use the arm on the same side. Dr. Lyman
spoke of the shape of the bones, saying
they were of natural size, although they
had nothing but skin to cover them. He
pointed out the location of the carotid
artery in the neck, and showed the imper-
feet movement of respiration, during which
there was very little expansion.
SpIague was requested to give a sketch
of his history, and said his parents were
large and healthy. He had three strong
boys, the youngest of whom is ten years
old and weighs ninety pounds. The
atrOphy, for such is the disease which has
wasted away his body, began at the age of
twelve years. DR.. Lyman said the disease
usually ran its course in five years, and
never remembered reading of case of
such long duration as that of Sprague's.
Taking Sprague's left hand and holding it
up he showed that the muscles of the hand
and thumb were all gone. So long as the
muscular fibre existed the muscle could
perform its functions; when all the fibres
are gone the muscle loses its power
One of the most remarkable features of
the case is that it is so prolonged. If the
disease should invade the region of the
neck it would paralyze the respiratory or
gans and death would ensue. The disease
was unknown in the subjects family which
was strange, as it was hereditary. He had
read OF case wherein the disease had
been traced back in family two hundred
years. +
:. -Sprague said be had no sickness, xhan.-
matism, and his appetite was good, he be-
ing able to eat three hearty meals day
DIR. Lyman felt his pulse and pronounced
it good in volume and very natural The
sight was good, and there was no wasting
away of the tongue as was generally the
case in atrophy. The vital centers had
not been attacked On being asked if he
was cold in his semi-nude condition, he
said he had been exposed for seventeen
years, had been out with circuses and other
shows, and never took cold
DR.. Lyman next drew diagram on the
blackboard, and explained that the seat of
the disease was in the spinal column, and
they would find in all these cases a chronic
inflammation of the cords. The oblitera-
tions of the muscles was very slow, and
the disease was Lot necessarily fatal one.
The subject might live for many years.
anent which Sprague said he would let
them know when he died. which caused
some laughter. DR.. Lyman told the
students that they should not hold out
any expectation of cure in such cases bv
medicine. The patient could be helped by
hygienic treatment, but the best treatment
was electricity-the use of the galvanic
current with from eighteen to twenty-five
cups. Atrophy may be arrested in it's
course, but it would prove fatal sooner OF
later; no time could be fixed. 1t was a
disease generally caused by accident, and
the doctor gave instances where the limbs
of patients had been strained by lifting
and falling, and palsy had ensued In
Sprague's case it could not be accounted
for, as he had never met with any accident
and had no Sickness. Typhoid fever was
also an underlying cause Of otrophy.
This finished The doctors explanation,
and Sprague informed the students that
he weighed eighty pounds when the dis
ease first appeared He married his first !
wife when he was twenty-six years old,
and his second, who weighs 10 pounds,
last December. II can lick any man in |
this country of my size and weight" he
said, which caused general merriment. He
has been carried around for the last eight
years, and still has natural feeling in
every part of his body. This remarkable
nan has two sisters who weigh 200 pounds
each, and brother who weighs 10
pounds.