Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-06-05


HaA Been Shedding Her Bone,
Five Hundred and twenty
six UP TO Date.
= Bone exfoliation for twcnty-oHe years
One of the strangest, if not th,
strangest, cases ever brought to the at
tention OF medical men in this section, i.
that OF Sarah Meas, who lives beyond tn,
\ North Carolina line in Tennessee.
. DIR. T. L. Bales, of Cancy Branch
Greene county, Tenn, was in AsheviIl,
last week, coming here to visit relatives
and also to attend the State medical con
vention. DR.. Bales is brother-in-law o
Alderman 7. {. Starnes, of Asheville.
The Doctor told the story of Sarah
Neas'afiliction to several of the city phy.
slcIans, and endcavored to call the at
, tion of the convention to it. But he had
come in just before the work closed when
everything was hurried, and that BODY
could not take up the matter.
DR.. Bales brought with him a small
satchcl, which was filled with small
pieces OF bone, with which to. substanti-
ate his statement, if any should doubt.
Although the convention did not inycs-
tigate the matter, DR.. Bales showed his
exhibit to several of Ashcville's physi-
clans who took great interest in the mat
ter.
Dr. Bales has had many interrogations
US to the case of the Meas woman, and
has written full account of the case to
Alderman Starnes. which gentleman has
given The CITIZEN the letter for publica-
tion in full.
Dr, Bales is one of the most prominent
physicians Of East Tennessee, and his
illSh standing in the profession is suffi-
cleni voucher for the truth of the story.
DR.. Bales letter, dated Cancy Branch,
Greene county, Tenn, is as follows:
| I'm answer to your letter of enquiry
ABOUT the case of Sarah Meas, who lives
about two miles from this place, | will
state that to me and other physicians
VINO have visited her, the case is a very
remarkable one, and as far as know,
something new in medical science. There
mas been short sketch of her case in
several newspapers of recent date, but
nc accounts given of her case were very
Driei, and Ill some respects not altogether
accurate.
AS | have been her physician Tor
about two ycarS feel that am able
to state the facts of the case Just as they |
are. DR.. Bell, of Parrotsvilc, Tenn. is |
an old and able physician. He was for
mery her physician, and will state in sub |
stance what | do i'll regard to her case.
Many othe;s, neighbors and visitors will |
DO the same. Her case is one of bone cx-
foliation. One side OF her body only is
affected. She is about II years of age,
OF average height, weight about 100
pounds and except the disease herein
spoken OF seems otherwise to be in good
health.
About twenty one years ago while
ironing she scorchcd the end of the index
hngcr OF the lett hand and on the even
ing OF the same day cut the end of the
hnger that was scorched ON piece of
broken dish. The night following il
gave her great pain, so much so that she
wal ked the floor all night. On the fol.
lowing morning the finger was very
much swollen, and the cuticc protrudcd
from the end of the finger. This she cut
OIL with pair of scissors. This opera.
ton lett exposed to view three yellow
pImples which contained all the pus that
ever gathered in the wounded
finger. She suffered great pain
all the time for about two months. AT
the end of this time the bone exfoliation
began. First 1t commenced in the phal-
anges OF the fingers, and as the disease
progressed the forearm became involved.
FIRST the phalanges then the metacarpus,
the carpus, the radius, the ulna, and oil
recent years the scapula and inferior
mnxillary have been involved. The hu.
nierous has not as yet been affected.
he exfoliation takes place spontanc-
ously. About ten minutes before it oc-
ours the patient is seized with intense
pam winch continues until the bone is
expelled. There is no hcmorrhayc, no
suppuration or inflammation, and al
ways heals by first intention.
mo pus has ever formed in any wound
that has ever been inflicted by this dis
ease, and what seems to be most remark
ablein the case, is that the bone seems to
be immediately replaced by some process
OF ossihcation, which may be inferred
from the fact that there is no disfgura-
ton of the part from which the bone is
expelled. The bone docs not always
make its appearance on the surface in
stantly after breaking loose, but occa-
slonally there is one that will be some
hours moving down the arm. They will
move an inch or 80 very rapidly and re.
main at that point some little time, then
move on little farther and continue in
this way until they reach the back of the
hand and there make their appearance
on the surface. The bones from the in
terior maxillary make their appearance
on the surface near where they break
loose.
"On one occasion | was called very
hurriedly to see her. On my arrival /
found a bone lodged in her throat. Ire
moved the bone and she told me she had
swallowed two, previous TO my arrival,
and while sitting talking to her bone
about one inch i'll length came from her
lett ear. The bones all look natural, {
though some of them look as if they had
been blcached.
The number of bones expelled in pieces
up to this time is 526. There can be no
deformity detected. She has untilrecently
had good use of her arm, but it is now
impaired to some extent. She is the
mother OF one child, and is free from any !
disease that would have a tendency n,
prodnce softening of the bone, She has
been a woman OF good constitution {
otherwise, and during her life has taken
very little mercury"