Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-11

proprietor this time met him suavely at
the door and told him firmly, but kindly,
that he could not afford to have the custom
OF eolored people. WEIGH protested again,
but the proprietor was unmoyed.
well, look at my hair said Welsh.
1ez can see that Ohm no nagur."
The proprietor looked at the hair, but
WASH, t convinced by that either. Why"
he SAID, I've seen lots of niggers with
straight hair, You can't play that on
me-"
WEIGH said he was Irish. But tbs
| restaurant man said he didn't care if be
was the Grand Duke of Ireland. he couldn't
come In there.
The next attempt was the last. After
that Welch gave it up. Here he was re-
celved in grim silence, and after while
waiter came and put down in front of him
an odd looking bill of fare and went away.
On this bill of fare the cheapest Wand was
liver and bacon, 1915. Coffee was 81 a
cup and braed Is cents slice A serloin
steak cost $3.50. Mr.. WEIGH had been
around restaurants too much not to know
the significance of all this. He got up and
went out
That day he dined at the hospital and
has been contented to stay there ever since.
His condition has not varied much from
day to day, but he has not got any better.
His color has gone on slowly growing
darker. The change is just perceptible
from one weeks end to another. He is
now about two shades darker than he was
when he reached the hospital. If he lives
long enough he will be totally black.
| The real trouble with Welch and the
causes of his extraordinary change of tint
is, being translated, a trouble with his gall
duct, and is something like a very extreme
case of jaundice. To the extent with
which he is afflicted with, it is very rare,
though such cases have been recorded.
The seat of difficulty lies in the gail
duct, which connects the gall bladder with
the liver, which it supplies with the bile
used in the process of digestion. In cases
Of diseased liver er deranged stomachs a
gall stone sometimes passes from the gall
bladder to the liver. The gall stone is a
bard fragment something like piece OF
coral, with little spurs sticking out al
over it. The gall duct is very small and
the stone passing along tears and scratches
the walls of the duct producing great suf,
fering.
It is usual In case of severe pain to give
morphine, and after few days the gall
stone gets through the duct and the patient
is relieved. Il is possible, however, for
the little spurs on the gall stone to stick
there and become impactel. The bile
thereupon flows into the system, produc-
ing j0undice or a disease analogous to it
and finally death, unless the obstruction
works itself loose.
1t is the opinion of the hospital surgeons
that this is what is the matter with Welch,
only in his case the flow Of the bile into
the system has gone On very much longer
than in any previous case that they have
observed.
The hospital records show two previous
cases of somewhat similar nature Both
of these were women who were brought
in as suffering from jaundice. In each
case gall stone was found to have become
impacted in the gall duct. The color of
these patients, however, was no darker
than that ordinarily found in cases of
jaundice; that is to say, distinct yellow
tinge over all the body. It grew slightly
darker as the case went on, but was not at
any time dark enough to particularly at
tract attention.
Both of these cases ended fatally. In fact,
there is scarcely any chance for a patient
in such condition. The doctors at the
hospital are doing their utmost to save
| WEIGH, bat they have not much hope.
Nothing but an operation in all proba-
bility can remove the stone that has lodg-
ed in his gall duct, and an operation to a
point at such depth would be out of the
question. The present object of the doc
tors is to set up an action that will clear
the system of the bile, but the fact that
| WEIGH continues to grow darker is looked
upon as evidence that he is not getting
better.
He may nevertheless live for weeks or
even months. He has already gone so far
beyond the usual limit for persons in his
condition that his hold on life seems to be
extraordinarily strong. Originally he must
have had powerful constitution.
Since his admission to the hospital when
ne was told that he was not in fact a
negro and never would be one, Welch had
been pretty cheerful patient. He has
been out of his head and moving around
nearl y every day until yesterday. Then
he slept or dozed nearly all the time. This
is taken as an indication that the bile
which is circulating through his system is
beginning to affect his brain. If this is
more until his death. He will sink into
entire Inconsistencies and drop off in that
state.
Welch is about FIVE feet six inches in
height, compact and sinewy in build and
with an intelligent face. After his ex-
perieDces at the restaurants were all over
ne was rather inclined to regard them as
joke and told them at the hospital with
out apparent resentment. He has not
complained much since he came to the
hospital except of a dull and sleepy feeling
and considerable pain at times.