The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-24
A GIRL WITH HORNS.
a Case Without Parallel Puzzline
New Yor< Physicians
From IA CiNcnLnntL Ennnirer

mon thing i'll the strange process OF natural
development for child to be born with
certain physical characteristics in the >Lape
of the face, the color of the skin, the ar
rangement of the hair on the body and
with several other things that partake
strongly of the lower animal natures.
Ihls departure from tho normal standard
or human development has long been
made study by scientists who
delight to ramble among monstrosi-
ties, and various theories have been
advanced to account for it. none of which,
however, have ever been believed in, ex-
cept by the propounders. Whenever there
Is any radical deformity, it is nearly always
present at the birth; and when 1t is of such
marked character as to excite disgust,
nature, as if ashamed of her handiwork
usually cuts off the breath of the monster
after few hours or days of existence. 1t
is very rare that a child is brought into the
world perfect III every way, and atterward
undergoeS any positive change and devel-
ops any of the features supposed to belong
exclusively to the lower order of animals.
THE CASE OF MARGARET WILSON,
coming as it does under the latter class, has
attracted a great deal of attention both in
the medical profession and among laymen,
and it is without doubt the most marked
case of its kind that has ever been reported.
Margaret is young girl Is years old, and
before she was afflicted with this peculiar
malady it would take several trips on Fifth
avenue, in the afternoon when all the rosy
girls were out, to find as lovely vision Of
beauty and as comedy a figure. Her COM
pleXlon was a combination of the rose and
lily, and her flowing tresses had the softest
tlnge Of the shade that is usually accom-
panied by white horse. she was ambi-
tiOus to excel in everything that she under
took, and this led to her excess in study
In her class in public school she easily
outstripped everybody, and as is
usual i'll precociouS children, she kept up
her mental skyrocket exhibition at the ex-
pense of her physical strength. While
under the strain of the annual examination
in school about year ago she was suddenly
Frustrated, and in a few days was battling
against the ravages of brain fever. 1t was
long and hard contest Her linely-devel-
oped nervous organization seemed to be
peculiarly adapted to this disease, and she
was delirious for many days. 1t seemed
like hollow mockery to even hope for
recovery, and she paled and wasted in the
presence of death, until the grim monster
seemed to have her firmly in his grasp The
wild delirium ran its course, and then she
sank into a stupor that resembled the
cOrditiOn found in suspended animation,
with the exception that the respiratory or
gans and heart were more active. Days ran
into weeks and weeks into months without
any perceptible change. When everybody
was greatly exercised over the final termi-
nation of the disease she settled the matter
by opening her eyes and looking out upon
the world with the glance of recognition.
The life that had nearly ebbed away was
slowly nurtured back to a normal state and
THE WASTED POWERS WERE REVIVED
by assiduous attention and the best medical
aid AS soon as she got well enough she
was taken to California, in the hope that
the GLORIOUS climate would restore the
roseate bloom to her cheek and bring full
measure of health.
The health and roses came in time and
with them something unexpected and I'M
welcome as q blast of winter in the month
of June. In several places upon Margaret's
head slight swellings appeared and increased
rapidly in size. The flesh was sore to the
touch, and the development of the new
growths was attended with a considerable
degree of inflammation. Boils and alb
scesses were expected and poultices were APP
piled to aid in their growth, but before
there was any sign of the swollen
points coming to head the
Inflammation subsidized, the pain left the
head, and the nausea and faintneSs
that accompanied the conditions had disap-
peared. The new growths took ON a def
mite shape and character. When the head
was held in the light they were found to be
semi-transparent. They were soft at first,
and could be moved easily, and all of them
seemed to be inclosed in a cyst. AS they
continued to increase in size they became
hard and dense, and secured a firm hold
upon the skull. The next change was in
color, and the semi-transparent masses be-
came cloudy at first, then dark at the base
and dull white at the top, and when the
two colors blended, as the malady pro-
crossed, the result was
AS PERFECT AN IMITATION OF A HORN
as was ever seen. The longest two were in
the forehead, and projected outward at an
angle of forty degrees from a point Just
above the eyebrows. There were four more
horns in the forehead, and their locacation
indicated design on the part of nature to
distribute them III pairs. Under the hair
there were eight more bumps, more or less
developed, distributed in the same manner
In four months the horns in the forehead
near the eyebrows had grown to about four
inches in length and about an inch and
half in diameter at the base. They were
cone-shaped, and near the upper end where
the diameter was not more than a
quarter of an inch there was a decided
curve. similar to that seen In young rams
horn when it begins to curl. They were as
hard as bone, apparently, and yet possessed
the peculiar quality of being slightly hex-
ible. The surface was marked by number
of rough rings which indicated the stages
of growth. The other horns in the forehead
were not as regular in form aud only about
half the size. When the girls hair was cut
off the tumors there were found TO have the
same general characteristics. They were
hard and cone-shaped, and several of them
were knotted and had fine pearl-like scales
covering the entire surface, that sparkled in
the light like Christmas cornucopia. There
was one about three inches long that had
small single twist in it just like the horn of
a sheep.
THE ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL SYMPTOMS
observable were such as resulted from men
tai disturbance due to modification and
worriment. The appearance of the girls
face was remarkably sheeplike, but no
doubt this was due in a large degree to the
observers imagination, who would natural
lv associate a horn with an animal head.
Margaret was brought to this city and
placed in charge Of DR.. Simmons, at his
private hospital.
An excellent photograph was taken Of
Margaret with the detective camera for the
Pathological Society. During the next
three monts fourteen surgical operations
were performed upon her for the removal
of the horns. Only one was taken away at
q time. Her sensitive nervous organiza-
tion would not stand a greater shock.