The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-10-17
4 ~RE1kARKABLE CASE.
Death of'A Young Ma from Hlsphautiasis
~-1osaeth1n1 About the Disease.

Death OF . XounH Nan from 8~lephAnt1Ast8
-1o,asthin9 About b Disease.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
One of the most remarkable invalida
in the city, Joseph Bacciocco, died yes
terday morning. aged 10 years. The
cause of his death was elephantiasis.
From this complaint his right leg was
enlarged to a fearful extent, and at the
calf was three feet four inches in circum-
ference. He was familiar to a great
many people of Cincinnati, whohad no.
ticed him on the streets and wondered at
the enormous development of his limb.
To such an extent had the'disease grown
on him that the boy weighed nearly
300 pounds, atleast one-half Of this be-
ing confined to the one limb. It is said
he was the only victim of the disease
on record in this city. DIR. August
Ravogli, his physician, who has attend
ed him for the last two years, called
yesterday with a photographer to have
portraits taken of the leg in different
portions for the benefit of the medical
fraternity; but the relatives positively
declined. Though under such a terri
BILE disadvantage, the boy always man
aged toget about with ordinary activity,
could walk at a rapid gait, enjoyed
different sports, and was. in fact, too
fond of exercise for his W safety.
Too much exercise a few days ago, DIR.
Ravogli says, produced inflammation
and fever which caused his death.
When asked to define what the dis
ease was, the Doctor said last night to
an Enquirer reporter. at is very rare
in this country, and is indigenous to
warm climates, such as Egypt, Africa,
Asia, India and Italy. l have seer it,
and treated it in clinics in the old coun-
Try. 1t was known among the ancients,
and for q time record of it was nearly
lost. In the middle ages there was the
elephantiases Of the Arabs and the ele-
phantiases of the Greeks. The latter
was a sort of leprosy, and the same
names for the different diseases caused
a confusion in the medical literature
that was very hard to unravel, and was
often most annoying. The enlargement
is caused by the hypertrophy of the
connecting tissue of the skin, and the
primary cause, the origin of all the
trouble, is the lack of proper cir
culation of the blood. The en-
largement is caused by inhamma-
ton of the Emphatic vessels.
About every six months, or perhaps
oftener, Inflammation occurs and the
leg swells. When the fever goes down
the swelling still remains, and thus the
leg continues to grow larger. Cut in
and you find an enormous mass of a
substance which looks, like lard.
Squeeze this and fattyfuid is exuded,
which solidifes when it comes togeth-
er. The bone develops with the swell
ing, and a mass of bone forms, and the
veins aud tissues all keep up with the
abnormal development. Baccioeo might
have lived much longer; but he exer-
eised too violently and brought about
Inflammation. Then the absorption of
the Emphatic element from the dis
eased member into the system caused
his death, makingit 'fbrinous absorb
tion.' His foot was normal. The
swelling began at his ankle and contin-
ned to the abdomen, being the largest
(forty inches) at his calf. The, develop
ment began a few months after his
birth. The epidermis of the, patients
Leg was discolored and notified"