Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-01-12
SLEACTE0 COOKS.

5LEANf1J IoJao.
Tno la;">t freak nf nature which
ha- been exciting comment and in
wiling study among medical and sci
entilir men. Is. says the Louisville
Cuu3cr-Jonnnl, negro woman who
is gradually changing color and get
ting a Very handsome white com
plrAi0n. The woman'5 name is Jane
Mckay. and she formerly lived on
Broadway near Sixth street. but is
now residing on Sixteenth. between
Chestnut and Madison streets. Louis
vile. She il a native of that city and
is about 81 years old. Her parents
Were negroes o. the old-faShioned
type with all the marked character
isles Of their race, both in form and
in manners When she grew up moth
inr unusual was noticed in her color,
which was of dark brown, nearly
approaching the shiny black features
which are seen in the negroes Of tho
typical Southern stamp. She looked
a full -hlOu'l"d negroes. and her short.
kinky hair. thick lips and shiny black
eyes and GLOSSY color SO pronounced
her.
The change of color first became
noticeable about five years ago. when
small piece of the skin on the side
Of her neck was rubbed off. and in
place of the natural shade a white
spot was left when the place healed
up This was thought peculiar, and
the establishment of those who knew
her was greatly augmented when an
other similar spot appeared on her
neck a little higher up. This spot
looked as if the natural skin had been
pushed off and the White grown in
its place. The spot increased very
slowly, but gradually became elon-
gated, and both white spots were
united in one. making patch large
than Il silver dollar. Soon after thi
Il number of the white patches APPS
peared on her face, neck and arms
until she bore the appearance of hav.
ing been slightly sprinkled with white
paint. One patch, on her forehead
near the left eye, was particularly
noticeable on account of its size and
and tho rapidity with which it i'll
creased, as it continued to grow down
the aide OF her face, uniting with
patch ON her cheek, leaving half the
side of her face pale flesh color,
which contrasted strongly with the
blackness of the rest of her features
The change of color has been going
on slowly ever since, until she is
nearly a solid white, her limbs and
body having also partaken in the
transformation.
Her appearance is most remark
able, and, i'll its unfinished state,
rather repulsive. The change is now
so great that the natural color is only
seen in patches on her face. AID she
bears the appearance OF once having
been white, but undergoing change
TO the colored race The striking
thing about her. which would at once
excite curiosity, is tho contrast and
blending of the different colors. the
head is still surmounted by thick
growth of woolly hair of the most de-
cided African type. tho eyes preserve
their natural shining look and the
whites are clear and large. setting
them off to fine advantage Across
the left side of the face is one broad
strip of white extending from the
chin to the center of the forehead, be
ing broken mere and there by small
black patch of skin, like figure en-
graved in the flesh. The other side
of the face is more notified, and tho
black and white alternate with con
siderable regularity Her neck and
hands have nearly undergone q com
plete and entire change. and are us
white rs those of any Caucasian.
The body is of the same color, and,
as the white is still increasing, the
transformation will soon be complete.
with the exception of the hair and
eyes. which will bctray her African
origin. She takes to the matter very
kindly. and does not seem at all to
object to being made white.
Such cases as this are very rare,
and are generally tho result of some
disease, often hereditary. DIR. Luns-
ford p. Yandell, probably The best
authority in the country on such dis
eases. in 1879 wrote an elaborate ar
ticle on the subject, in which he re-
ported thirteen cases. o. few of which
were those of white people turning
black. He states that as to the cause
OF the transformation nothing but
speculation can be advanced. Sew
eral diseases have been known to pro
duce vitiligo or change of the color.
and Wilson gives the case of man
who was terribly frightened by being
shot at, and whose entire skin became
black in less than three months.
Typhus fever has in several cases
boon known to cause this change. In
the article DIR. Yandell gives one par
ticularly extraordinary case-that of
4 negro woman who suffered a severe
attack of pleuro pneumonia. which
waslfollowed by perfect recovery. Soon
after, while i'll unblemished health,
change of color pervaded her entire
person. and she was often afterward
mistaken for n Caucasian Her general
health is not affected in the slightest
degree by this change, and there is
nothing to indicate the strange forces
at work except their results.