The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-06-25
JUSTIFICATION
Slowly But Surely Appears In O
Young Girl
For Number of Years ThlT Change Has
Seon Going On-A Case That Mysti-
fieE the observation-disclosures
Condition of the Victim.

LouIsvuLE, KY, June 17.--The fact
has just become public that the doctors
of this city have been closely studying
the case of young girl whose muscles
are gradually becoming ossified. DIR.
A. Morgan Vance, whose patient the
girl is, declares it is genuine case of
what is technically termed myositis
ossifcans, a disease so rare and SO little
understood as TO causes and treatment
that very little has ever been
written of it in medical books. In
fact it has not received more than u
mere definition. The case was brought
to the attention Of the medical society
ut it's last meeting. In speaking Of the
case Friday DIR. Vance dilated on tho
extreme rarity of such cases and the
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 of
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 heS
mother. The family are very quiet, un-
assuming German people, living at No.
914 East Market street The father, Mr..
John Il. Schamback, blacksmith, and
his daughter, Miss Emma, 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 very pretty girl Her head
is drawn to one side by the hardening
of the muscles in the side of the neck,
and just under the chin, near the
Adams apple" is Il long projection as
hard and sharp as nail to the touch.
The muscles of the back are SO hard
enad that she can not bend over, and
those about the chest are also ossifed,
In the right arm both biceps and triceps
are affected, and the muscles of the
right thigh are immovable. Herright arm
she keeps in one position altogether,
and her left she has but partial control
ONCls ilC VI blS Ol
the thigh renders it impossible for her
to bend her left limb. The muscles of
the face are gradually suffering and are
beginning to stand out prominently, as
do those of the neck. The hardening of
the facial muscles limit to some extent
the motion of the jaws, but notwith-
standing this fact, her appetite is good,
and she eats as heartily and with as
much relish as an entirely healthy per-
son.
Miss Schamback's mother stated the
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 the necessity of medical atten-
tion occurred six months ago, when
in pumping a bucket of water Miss
| Schamback was seized with excruciat-
ing pains in the right arm and, strange
to say, she now feels no pain, and save
| for the inconvenience of rising and
being unable to move freely, never COM
plains. Nothing can be done to arrest
the progress of the disease, and the un-
happy girl is slowly but surely becom-
| ing an almost solid mass of bone.