Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-18

lKansas City start
A wonderful case Of vegetable growth
and multiplication ia human flesh that has
attracted the attention Of many Of the most
prominent physicians in the land is TO be
found in the town Of Olathe, few miles
south OF this city, on the Fort Scott road
Having heard that there Was a lady Ia that
city who had spec g OF the cactus plant
growing out OF her body, the result Of an
accident which lodged few OF the briers
in her hand, an Erenfng Star reporter Wis
tied the little town yesterday and devoted
the day to an invests CATION of what ap-
peared TO be an improbable story.
Knocking at the door of pretty little
residence on a street in the rear OF the Asy-
lum for Deaf Mutes, the reporter was met
by the lady of whom be was ia search,
Mrs. Burnett. Mrs. Burnett is the wife Of
a well-to-do and prominent citizen OF Ola
the, and her son is councilman In Ar
mourdals, Kansas Clty's suburb.
When she learned that her visit was in
search Of information concerning her won
derful case she indicated her willingness
to cheerfuIly give its history. "About five
years ago." she began, II was changing
cactus plant, when 10 fell, and in saving it
touched the plant and got four Of tho
briers, not larger than needle points, under
the nail of the little finger on my right
hand. thought nothing of it at the time,
but in few days my finger grew stiff,
and in a few weeks l lost the use
OF my hand entirely. 1t was in Au-
gust that | got the briers in my finger,
and some time during the next spring,
after winter of terrible suffering with
my arm, which, hike my hand, had become
paraly zed, cactus briers began to grow out
ofmy hand and arm. During that summer
picked out of my right hand and arm
thousands of cactus briers, although only
four had entered when the accident hap
pened. I did not wait for them to grow
out. I took needle and for months and
years did nothing but cut and pick the
cactus off my hand and arm. AT one time
/ had cut out enough cactus this way to
cover my apron-front completely In spite
of my picking the plant continued to grow
and multiply, until my system was full of
cactus. / was fairly bristling with the
prickly briers, which began making their
appearance in my back and shoulders.
Finally one day felt peculiar stinging
sensation in my feet, and examining them
found that the cactus was beginning to
sprout out of my heels. L waited until it
made its appearance above the skin, and
then, as in other instances, 1 began to cut
it out. During these years, for the plant
has been constantly making its appearance
in the past five years, have suffered
frightfully. / became broken down In
health and was unable to sleep. If | at
tempted to retire it.seemed as though the
bed were made of needles standing on end.
have walked my room for nights with my
BODY fairly tingling from the effect of the
terrible plant that was multiplying and
growing within me-"
"But you certainly sought the advice of
physician?" interrupted the reporter.
"Neither money nor time were spared in
our attempts TO effect cure, or at least re-
lief, for it was fast killing me.
81 consulted some of the local physi-
clans. They laughed at the cactus theory
until they saw its subsequent growth.
They told me that vegetable life could not
multiply or grow in human flesh. began
TO travel, consulting many of the best ply
sicians in the country. They were con-
vinced of the nature of the trouble, but
were unable to suggest the proper remedy.
Some of them were in favor Of burning the
plant with acid. I tried this until it
threatened to kill me, and then abandoned
it, After the first year my health was so
broken down by the ravages of the awful
plant that only lived by constant tonics.
1t was a struggle for life, and for years the
cactus had the upper hand. Finally
found an old physician in Michigan who
recommended the use of an electric bat
terry. This device saved my life. By run
ming the sponges over my body killed
the plant wherever it was near the sur
face. There are two currents in these bat
teries. the invigorating, or tonic, and the
depicting. For the benefit of any other
poor sufferer, remember that it is the de-
pleting current of one Of these batteries
that saves, and that alone"
'Did it cure you completely"
"Oh, no. Only yesterday picked some
cactus out of my hand, and there is more
coming, but IL is coming in smaller quanti-
ties all the time. think it has been killed
by the electricity, or has naturally ex-
hausted itself in my system. l am re-
gaining the use OF my arm, and for the
first time in five years, and feel as though
my escape from death had been narrow"
s'Did you ever hear of any other similar
caselv
s'Only one, and that was a man who
stepped into cactus bed in his bare feet
In few weeks his limbs resembled enor-
nous cactus stems, and it became neces-
sary 20 amputate them. He died soon after
the operation was performed. But the
deadly character OF the cactus is well
known among Western cattle-raisers. An
nually it kills thousands Of horses, cows
and sheep. They touch il with their
tongues, and in few days they are living.
moving cactus plants, so rapidly it grows.
re il always fatal in case of animals"
s'1s il necessary to get the briers In the
nesh TO cause the bad results.?v
ard ftsz onlv durinr the month ~