Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-05
BLACK LEPROsY OR LUPUS
Better Known as BLACK Wolf.

Better Known as Black Wolf.
From the Boston Herald. Apg. SO, 1886.
This disease is considered by phys-
clans to be incurable. In fact, there is
no case on record OF cure until within u
few months past. A reporter learning of
the atfliction, suffering and final recovery
Of Mrs. c. A. Bailey, of Someryille, near
Boston, called on her husband at No. 1115
Blackstone street, Boston, and heard his
report of the case, which is, to say the
least of it, simply wonderful. Twelve
years ago Mrs. Bailey, whose home is on
Moore street, West S0meryile, was at
tackled by hideous black eruption which
rapidly extended from foot TO lower limb
and thence to the thighs, back, neck, face
aud head. until her whole body was one
mass of living, dying puuelaction. To
breathe the foul eXhai8tlons of this living
corpse was terrible; yet with heroic devo-
ton her husband and relatives never re-
| linQuisbed their posts or aoated one iOta
the fond faithfulness of their trust. This
mysterious foe crept so swiftly on as to
strike terror into all those loving hearts;
| yet not one of all the eminent physicians
! who were summoned could check Its fatal
| progress, or even diagnose the disease
! sufficiently to give it aname. Even while
]
| these men OF medicine were as powerless
as children TO arrest its ravages. An
| eminent physician of Someryille at first
! pronounced 1t an abscess and prescri bed
| bismuth, but after elk months acknow-
lodged his skill completely baflled. A
noted physician Of Quincy, after a whole
year of &faithfsli, fSsti4st care, during
which tine great "inasses Of dead flesh
sloughed on Limbs and BODY at the slight.
est movement. abandoned the case as
hopeless, and IneXplicahle. The most
! learned physician in Cambridge, whose
wide experience in the study and treat
mept oiskin diseases IN. the hospitals Of
Europe rendered him, probably, the high
est authority in New England, heard OF
Mrs. Bailey's affiictlon and volunteered
| his services for six months, in the hope OF
checking this terrible scourgc. He was
| enabled to successfully diagnose the case,
and pronounced the malady to
be a species Of leprosy designated in
! European hospitals as Lupus" the Latin
name for "wolf;r and from the dark color
OF the eruptions better known as the
'tRlack Wolf;" and surely no beast of
prey was ever more relentless in its pitt
less ravages than was this horrible pssti-
lence. When the doctor undertook the
case the poor woman was on the very
verge of eternity. Her body, from the
was mass of decay, masses of flesh rot
! ting off and leaving great cavities, large
| enough at times for the insertion of an
ordinary teacup. The flesh was SO
| eaten from her neck that the
chords and tendons were exposed
| to view. Her fingers testered, and
three or four of her nails dropped off at
once. Her limbs, contracted by this ter
rible liberation, became drawn up and
contracted. and she lay on her bed poor,
crippled object, whose daily prayer was
that death might speedily end her suffer
! ings. Her weight was reduced from 125
to 80 pounds, and for years she never left
| her bed. The terrible condition of the
poor woman beggars description. Some
faint idea OF her condition can be CLEANED
from the fact that three pounds of COsmO-
| line per week were used in dressing her
| sores. For six months the DOCTORS care
was unremittng; but at the end of that
time he Acknowledged his utter defeat by
the Black Wolf, and commended his IA
tient to the keeping Of her all-wise Gre
| ator. But resolved to struggle against
! the disease until the last, Mr.. Bailey pro-
cured large quantities Of the best known
| remedies OF the day, and they were faith
| fully tried, but without success. Opt
ates were administered day and night,
| and o three months s0i0urn at Messina
ROpA
woman returned home to die, as she sup
posed; but CHANGING to read of the cure
| on a man who for twenty years was pros
| trated by virulent scTofula, Mr.. Bailey
| begged his wife to adopt the medicine by
which be had been cured. It was ascer.
tanned that Swifps Specific, famillarly
| known the world over as "S. s.. s., had
! been the means of his recovery,
and after protesting with tears and sObs
| In toll IA oh
seemed unavaiing. the poor woman final
! ly consented. He procured a supply and
! three bottles were taken without any
| perceptible effect. But soon the burning
| and itching OF the sores abRted a little,
and the HANDBAGS began to show that the
virus was being gradually forced out OF
the system. The sores assumed redder
and more healthy color, as though the
blood was becoming purer and more
active, and then, to the JOY and fearful
delight Of all, her sores began to heal,
| very slowly and gradually at first, but
| surely. nevertheless. Appetite and
strength returned ere long, and on Feb.
last every sore was healed,
and Mrs. Bailey discarded chair and
crutches, and for the first time
in IL years was well woman. She still
uses the medicine as a tonic, and is de-
lighted to ind that her complexion is
clearer and her form more beautifully
rounded than before her Illness. Mr..
Bailey. when seen at his place Of bust
ness, Tx Blackstone street, Boston, ex-
pressed his cheerful readiness to commu-
nicate more IN detail relative 10 this re.
markable cure with any who may be al.
hicted by eczema or kidney complaints
and in his gratitude TO SwIfts Specific, he
is ready 70 meet personally all who may
desire TO know more OF the facts of the
case than is possible TO reheRrse In the
public columns Of newspaper. To-day
there is not a sore on Mrs. Bailey's body,
but Der tlesh presents even now q sight
terribly suggestive Of the fearful ordeal
through which she has passed.