The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
DEATH WAS wELCOMETOHER
MISS BALDWIN HAD TWO RARE IN-
CURABLE DISEASES AT ONCE

gyrinrou,yeiin and A cror>e raiy Ne YER Known
to Have Oecurred ToEether Befcre-The
Eni.rrer,ert OF Her Hands, Hsr Feet, and
Her Features Was Her Fret wsruinF.
At her residence. 1o4 West Ninety-ninth
street. this city. Miss Annie Richardson Bald
win died on Friday. after q years illness. OF
syrinRomy ella and acromcgsly. Each disease
IL rare. but tho combination has mover been
known before.
About year ago Miss baldwin found that
her hands and feet were becoming larger.
They kept ON growing. and her mirror ard her
friends told her that her head. too was grow
ing. She suffered no physical pain. but the
mental pain caused by the nbnorma al enlarge
ment was very keen. Her sisters. with whom
she resided. greatly puzzled by her symp-
toms. called in Or. N. Allen Starr Of %
West Forty-eighth street and DR.. Frederick
Peterson OF 20 Wost Fifty-fourth street They
said she had aoromeraly. The word means
enlarged extremitiea" They were astoundod
to discover at the same time symptoms Of
syringomyelia- This means disease caused
by cavities in the spinal cord. There were
several small cavities in one OF tho lower seq
ments OF tho cervical portion OF the cord
These seRments are nerve centres. and II
they are injured or defective the muscles con-
trolled from these centres become partly par
alyzed. The patient loses entirely the sensa-
ton Of, pain and temperature. though the
sense Of touch ~ not affected.
fected part DO touched. but sustalne no pain IL
It be burned or cut, In Miss Baldwin's case
grew larger and multiplied. Cavities In seq
ments controlling the cardiac and respiratory
tSs Sson n nan SO ,s a. to ana
ensued 1t was welcome to the patient whose
life had been made miserable Her ears. lirs;
unusual size and she was gradually moro and
Physicians and surgeons generally watched
patient. since no one had ever succeeded in
s0msating the proSres: q either
%as Ss sS ho
scribed n number o. times. no one knows what
causes either and no one knows 2 remedy for
either DR. said y ss Of b,
affects the head. hands, and feet In such a
sse' Wills the body itseIt retains its Normal
condition. Persons suffering from the disease
esn nnis ears. ohins. hoses nsers and
Manypeople with this nilmept have found their
The danger is that tumor may form In the
and pores. viii ch are close to the base Of the
brain. The enlargement OF tho hands. head:
ana feet Is SLOW. but goes on until the patlent
dies. There is neither paralysis nor loss Of
sensation, Tho disease was first described
"Syrneomyelia was first described some
thing more than ten years ago. The cavities
in the spinal cord are caused by the dlsintegra-
ton OF tumors which form there. The tumors
dissolve leaving water in their place. 1t Is \
kind OF inilltration OF water The cavities are
any part OF tho spinal cord. They are not fatal
until they reach tho regiments containing the
respiratory or cardiac nerves.
mo remedy has been found for either
disease. We prescribe. OF course but moro for
the purpose Of keeping the healthy parts Of
pedo tho march of tho sickness. II either
disease once gets hold there Is no stopping it
Medicine Is making such wonderful advance
m ent that it will Undoubtedly tind q cure or a
hindrance for both these maladl les: Their
cause. too. will certainly be learned The be-
ginning OF each Of them Is known, but the
why and the how are not"