The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-06-23

LOUISVILLE. Ky, June 1x--Tbe Nc.
has 3ust become public that the doctors
of this city have been closely studying
the case of young girl whose muscles
are gradually becoming ossifietl. DIR.
A. Morgan Vance, whose patient tho
girl Is, declares it Is a genuine case of
what Is technically termed mvositis
ossificans, q disease 50 rare and SO littlo
understood as to causes and treatment
that very little has ever been
written of 1t in medical books In
fact it, has not received more than a
mere definition. The case was brought
to the attention OF the medical society
at its last meeting. In speaking Of the
case Friday DR.. Vance dilated on tho
extreme rarity of such cases and tho
utter inability of physicians thus far to
arrest the progress of the disease. From
observation of the few cases known to
the world, it has been found that all
the muscles gradually harden into bone,
save those Immediately concerned in di-
gestion and respiration. The organs os
sight and speech are also exempt from
the general Justification The process is
very slow and irregular, and the pa
sient may live for years, gradually
growing more helpless and eventually
dying of exhaustion and confinement.
The reporter was reluctantly granted
an interview with the invalid by her
mother. The family arc very quiet, un-
assuming German people living at No.
Ola East Market street. The father, Mr..
John L. Schainback, blacksmith, and
his daughter, Miss Emma, u girl of
seventeen years, are the afflicted
ones She is rather tall,
slight-built person with blue eyes and
brown hair. But for her disease she
would be a very pretty girl Her head
is drawn to one side by the hardening
OF the -l:.aclcs in the side of the neck,
and just under the chin, near the
Adams apple" is long projection as
hard and sharp as nail to the touch.
The muscles of the back are SO hard
cned tat sh, css ben. 3y:r, AMI
| those about the chest are also oSoiaea-
In the right arm both biceps and tr.,cc.. r..
are affected, aal tho missiles OF ~ ,
| right thigh =: .,a;novable- Her right arm
she keeps in enc position altogether,
/ and her left she has but partial control
over. The hardening of the mu,clcs w.
the thigh renders it impossible fcg h -
| to bend her left limb The nilsc,,s ut
the face are gradually suffering AMI Ar,
beginning to stand out prominently -
do those of the neck. The hard >niEy ':
the facinl muscles limit to some extent
the motion Of the jaws, but notwlth-
standing this fact, her appetite is good,
and she eats as heartily and with as
much relish as an entirely healthy per.
son.
Miss Schanback's mother stated tn,
girl had been subject to acute muscular
pains since she was about years old.
The mother believes that the disease
has been working on the girl during
these ten years The first symptoms
which alarmed the family and suggest
ed thu necessity Of medical atten
tion occurred six months ago, wheI
in pumping q bucket OF water Mis-;
Schamback was seized with excruciat
ing pains in the right arm and, strangt
to say, she now feels no pain, and save
for the inconvenience of rising anl
being unable to move freely, never com
plains Nothing can DO done to arres
the progress Of the disease, and the ur
happy girl is slowly but surely becom
ing an almost solid mass of bono