Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-29
A NEGRESS TURNS WHITE.
THE TRANSFORMATION SLOW
LY ACCOMPLISHED.

/ Three Patches of the Original Color
still Left on Her Face--A Physician
PrOnOunces 1t a Case of LeucOderma--
The Case of the Youth at BunueII's
Museum.
There are many Oddities and euriosities
in and around this old seaport city, says
Wilmington, \. c., letter to the Boston
Post, but none that can compare with the
one your correspondent is about to de-
scribe. Directly after the war there came
| to Wilmington from an up-river county a
colored woman named Rhoda McNiel,
whose skin at that time was as black as
charcoal, but which had been growing
whittier day by day until now it is as
smooth and pale as the most gentle of our
race, with the exception of three black
patches-One on the forehead. and
the others on the cheek. Hearing 50
much about this singular freak of nature,
Visit was paid to this ancient dame in
ner vine covered cottage on the corner of
Dock and Tenth streets. for the Durpose
OF having an interview and witnessing
TINS change in color, which nothing in all
the medical works can cope with. In all
books that treat of skin diseases. there
are but three lines devoted to the enigma
OF color changing, and some of the best
practitioners say that while there are many
surmlses and opinions given in regard to
the chameleOn-like operation. vet there
never has been any definite cause given.
or actual proof of cause for this natural
or unnatural wonder.
Rhoda McNiel would not stand the in
terviewing process, being determined to
tell her story straight along. and as she
talked gllDly enough, for a woman of 70
years, her tale shall be told as told to me.
Il was born a slave, and owned bv
Billy McNlel, of Robertson county, North
Carolina. In early wOmanhoOd nv mas
ter took me to Mississippi, where, after
remaining ten years, / was brought back
to Carolina. When l first commenced to
hear OF the war my complexion began 10
change. Little white specks first ap-
peared upon my arms, but as had been
making soap | thought that was the
cause, but l began to get whittier and
whittier, and my mistress, who was then a
widow, became frightened, and, think
ing L was about to die, sent for
her uncle, DR.. Hughy McClans,
to come and see me. He said there was
nothing the matter with me, as Iappeared
strong and healthy, but as for the white
spots on my skin there was no account
ing. was not frightened, for, whatever
1t Is, 1t has never hurt me, and there is
no use III getting scared at anything that
don't hurt. L have never been sick In my
life except in being the mother of many
children, all of whom are dead but one
daughter, who is a widow, and is almost
as white as l am. We both belong to
st. Luke's Methodist church, and / raise
and drive geese for a living. l very sell
dom 90 down town, for the reason that
everybody stares at me as if | was a
whole circus, and yet they ought to know
me, as ] have lived a long time among
these Wilmington people,"
Bidding Aunt Rhoda good day a call
was made upon DIR. W. +. Storm. for
merly Of Glenn's Falls, n. Y; but for the
past six years Il resident practitioner in
wilmington. This gentleman produced two
nude photographs of RhOda McNiel, saw
ing: "One was taken three years ago,and
the other one year ago. In the first pic
ture you can see the skin is all white ex-
cept the face, which is as black as indigo.
And in the second all is white except the
patches upon her cheeks and forehead. /
thlnk IL is case of leucOdef1ma, or stop
page Of the formation OF pigment in the
skin. Cases OF this kind are very fire.
quent among the cOlOred people of the
South, but this is perhaps the most COM
plete case on record ON account of the
whiteness of her skin. The veins are
particularly prominent, but she
cannot stand the rays of the sun as il
burns her. 1t is only question of a short
time when she will be as white as any
body. II is a most singular case, and if a
disease the cause and the remedy is un-
known. l am well aware that if | graft a
piece of white skin upon a cOlored person
that ii will turn black eventually. The
cOlOred youth who was once exhibited in
BunnelPs Museum in New York as the
leopard boy said that the cause of his
changing color was that he was playing
by the banks of a stream, and flash Of
lghtnIng striking near him photographed
upon his body all Of the surrounding
objects, such as twigs, leaves and stones.
Now do not say that lightning had any
thing to do with the case of Rhoda Nc
Mel. Hers is a mystery that | would
like to see cleared up by some of the lead
ing scientists Of the North, for there is
not case in history like it,"