The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-13
ATALKING SKELETON.
Isaac Sprague's Animated Bones Ex-
hibited at Rush Medical College.
TChicago Tribune. ]

lClicdSO 1IlUuiic.J
Isaac Sprague, who is usually ad-
vertised in museums or travelling
shows as the living skeleton, was ex-
hibited yesterday to the students of
the Rush Medical College, and was
made the subject of lecture by DE-.
Henry N. Lyman. Several hundred
students filled the tiers of seats that
rose above each other to the roof OF
the amphitheater, and in the small
semicircle below sat the skeleton.
A skeleton he was, indeed,
for there did not appear to be single
vestige of flesh on his body, and the
skin was drawn tightly over the
bones. He wore a pair of trunks,
leaving his legs, chest and arms nude,
lover of the human form divine" it
would be difficult to imagine. The
mans spine was curved to one side,
and there was tremendous pulsation
In the neck over the right shoulder
that produced an irritating effect upon
an observers nerves. Sprague'S face
his body, and his neck seems to pre-
serve some muscular tissues, but all
the remainder is q mass of living ar
ticulated bones.
DR.. Lyman'S lecture was interesting
and was listened to with much atten-
ton. He pronounced Sprague's dis
ease to be a genuine case of progress
i've muscular atrophy, and went on to
describe in scientific terms the lateral
curvature of the spine, the pulsation
above referred to and how it was i'm
possible for any patient to make a
number of common motions on &C
count of the complete wasting away
of the muscles.
The skeleton said that he was forty
five years old, and had been suffering
from progressive muscular atrophy
for thirty years. Ceases such as this"
said the lecturer, generally run their
course in five years, and few have
been known to exceed twenty years.
1t is safe to say that there is no case
like the present one on record"
The speaker drew attention to the
fact that there was slight trace of
muscle left on the arm between the
elbow and shoulder, and that the lit
tie that was left was perfectly sound.
AS a usual thing, he said, atrophy fin
ally attacked the respiratory muscles,
and then the patient died of asphyXia.
But the muscles about the neck of
Sprague were out of proportion to the
size of the other parts of the body.
showing that as yet he had escaped
the most horrible ravages of the dis
ease. Atrophy often appears as vice
in the blood, passing through sue,
cession of generations, but all
Sprague's relatives had been healthy.
Have you suffered much?" the
doctor then asked.
mo" said the skeleton, in a voice
almost as thin as his legs. Il have no
rheumatic pains; have suffered no
loss of sleep: 1 can eat three hearty
meals day, and have been married
twice, and now 1 have three chill
dren."
peated in several forms, as thOu5h de-
sirous of impressing it upon his ;tu-
dience. The doctor went on to say 1t
was impossible to tell how Sprague's
disease originated, and the complaint
was one which it was impossible to
cure. Sometimes atrophy was caused
by an accident, and then the chances
were favorable of arresting the dis
ease, it being confined to certain set
of muscles; but when the disease
w do ooSAh
by the nerve cells connected with the
spine medicines were powerless. The
insidious work of chronic inflamma-
ton is followed by wasting away of
the muscles, started without any ap-
parent cause, and baffled all skill to
stop it. Sprague had tried all sorts OF
remedies, but none had affected him,
although cod liver oil and ale had
flushed his faced somewhat, without
producing any tissue.
The skeleton, in conclusion, told the
students that he now weighed fifty
pounds, which was half what he
weighed when the disease began. He
said, in an incidental and humorous
way, that his wife weighed 172
pounds. lie himself is five feet five
and one-half inches in height, and his
boy, weighing 125 pounds, can carry
the father about like child.