Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-12-08

One OF the most remarkable casos
oil non'development on record II this
state or any adioiDing one is thai OF
the daughter OF Mr. and Mrs HENRY
q Aspen street, says the Phila iel.
/ phla Inquirer The daughter was
born on May 10 1876. ana is named
Mary Frances The young woman
Is now IN her 18th year. but develon.
ment stopped both physically ana
mentally when she was months IA
The ease Is one which has not oply
puzzled medical scientists. bnt
others Of profound skin.
i May conflicting theories have
been presented The child AZ birth
~as an unusually healthy and Well
developed baby. ana for the first
eight months she showed ,igns IN
the usual development II children.
There Was 40 lack o. growth. no lack
q appetite Or anything else that
could for moment make either the
I parents or any medieai attendant
I doubt that the child was not natural
ANA normal Ia ali respects. Indeed.
ia health and appetite the little one
mas never given any trouble She
seems to-day except IN the matter 81
oyesssht % enJo ali the senses
The iirst intimailoa that the fam
us ever had III the chilI's lack Of
Development aAs when Il reached
inc en4 81 the nssi year OF lis ex.
isfenca when IL WAs noticed that tho
iitile one made no attempt 10 talk
OF even 70 creep or walk The
mother on observing this 1t once
consulted several doctors. an II
whom made examinations bat failed
70 discern ans thing pronounced in
lack ~ Development some Of
'hata stated that tho little one
would Ia q iew years, or probably
few months. regain what she mother
thought was lack Uf energy.
Time vent on and yoi no improve
mcpi TOOK place the liiilo ones
peculiar state
ID dae llme tho child vas baptized
b Rev Dr. FiiEmaurler al the OLD
- AgaihA's Roman Catholic church
A. tho year 1874 drew 10 close the
mother became uneasy about tho
child prG Hughes. Prcndergust
Baker. O'Neili Goodman aud hos,
" oia8rs Wtrr again aud again con
salte1. bat 81 failed 20 come to any
direct conclusion Hospitals ana
doctors innumcrablo we're visited
nnd consulted. but al ~ no avail Ia
giving iho child renewed yigor
some doctors pronounced iho child
only backward aud babe the mother
have patience. assuring her shat Ia
due time the little ono would make
up FOR lost months Even 81 the ago
% three years one doctor said that
tho child would rails. although hc
admitted tho case was puEalinR.
Mary Frances. a. lho age ~ 5 and
4 years. showed no moro sigEs Of do.
vclopmoai shan when ahc was . baby
Of = months Tho littlo ono has
never caused any trouble. nor
showed ans signs Of disease. bat mas
n all these long - years remained
Tho same baby sho was when
months old
Tho only difference today iu the
young woman. now over Is years
old. and tho baby Of $ months IL
that tho hoad may be a little larger
and tho lips a little moro prominent
She siill suhsists upon baby food.
No stronger sound proceeds from
she ls.ycar.oid child 20 day than
hen ahr wa s months old She has
never made any attempt 10 got on
her feet and her arms and legs are
just a. small and dimplod as when,
10 habyhood she pratilod on her
mothers kneo.
Everything possible has boon done
20 mako tho little ono comfortable
and sho seems a. happy and bright
TO day as the ordinary babe She
moves but little. even when placed
outside the house She Is happy
when sho hears others singing or
playing around her and will then
hum TO herself
enc Of her eyes has partially given
way. and the child shows a desire TO
use the left eye more than tho right
one
DR. j. 4. rrondorgast who has
been one Of the physicians attending
Mary. speaking OF the case recon
IN said. Its one OF tho most mar
yelons have over seen or known.
The head shows the Mongolian typo
Of imbucilos. There Is lack Of both
mental and physical development,
aud the cause is very obscure IL
may have been due TO natal inhu'
onces. which did not show signs un-
iii long after birth, or TO shock at
forwards. There may have been
lack Of nutriment or simply lack OF
acknowledgement Of brain matter at
or previous to birth il might be
due to an accident after birth, az an
injury 10 the brain or spinal cord
Yet the parents are not aware OF any
anch injury. II might oe due TO the
lack Of development in the nerve
coutors that control growth and de-
yelopmont, or Il might be hereditary
The latter cause. however, is not in
Dictated by the family history, all the
members having attained iull
growth II might DO caused BY