Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-07
EXTENDING DWARFS.
REMARkAeLs CASE OF JESSE VAN
vLEcK or KANSAS CITY.

Sufferer From Crotini,m-- Thyroid Gland
OF the Sheep Given Him with Splendid
ResuIts-A Similar Case In Scotland.
There Is now some hope of cure I'm Ger.
tain cnses Of arrested growth In children.
The latest case OF the Lind h reported from
Kansas City child In whom all de-
vclopmcnt, mental and physical, had ceased
for IL years has shown remarkable signs OF
Improvement.
Tho disease which caused the trouble
was sporadic crct ipism, an affection of tho
thyroid gland Of the neck II is Of simi-
lar nature To goiter, the disease which pro-
duces the crctins Of certain valleys OF
Switzerland and other parts OF the world.
When the doctors ascertained that GRO
tinism was n disease originating In tho
thyroid gland, they cndeavored To find
remedies which would net upon this organ.
This Is the.gland which swclls In the all
ment known as mumps. Following re-
cent line of discovery in medical science,
they gave the sufferers thyroid gland OF
animals in various forms. Favorable re-
suits have been obtained in several eases,
although they cannot bo looked for with
certainty.
The Kansas City child Is Jesse Van
Week, son OF Mr. and Mrs. Charles III.
Van Week Of 1908 East Eighth street. in
that city. He was l3 years Of age on April
90 and was then exactly 28H inches tall,
just about the height Of an infant begin
ming to walk.
His father and mother are both people Of
good size. His father Is feet 0 inches
high, and weighs 1863 pounds and his
mother weighs l75 POUNDS. They have
three other children, all OF more than ay-
OF - 1is 10 tNyi
as big rs he
At his birth he was u fine baby, weigh
ing 12 pounds. For 1 Il years his growth
was very satisfactory. AT years he weigh
ed 3S pounds.
Then his growth stopped In fact, in
his thirteenth year he weighed half
pound less than in his second. He did not
seem ILL., On the contrary, he was cheerful
and uncomplaining. But his growth, both
mental and physical, ceased absolutely.
He was less restless than an ordinary
child of 2 years. Up to the present he has
always spoken like baby learning to talk
and has never learned his letters. In APP
pearance he differs little from an ordinary
baby. There is a slightly aged look about
his eyes, and his forehead Is wrinklcd
Both parents and doctors have had hard
work TO assign any definite cause for the
suggest was fall which the child had
when no was l y years old. The nurse
dropped him, but tho fall was not u bad
one.
The parents made every effort to help
the child. They took him to hospitals in
New York and other eastern citios and to
many eminent physicians throughout the
country. They spent something like $5,-
900 for medical services in the earlier years
OF the trouble AS time passed and no inn
provement was obtained they naturally
lost hope.
A few weeks ago DR.. William Smith OF
Kansas City, who had taken an interest in
Jesse Van Week, received a report of the
Medico-C Chirurgical society of Scotland for
1894. 1t contained an account of case
similar to Jesse's.
A Scotch boy, suffering from sporadic
cfctinism, was but 33H inches tall at the
age of Is years. DR.. Thomson of tho Ed
inburgh School OF Medicine began to treat
him in December, 1892. He fed him with
thyroid glands of healthy sheep and lambs.
At the end of three months he had grown
two inches, moro than he had previously
grown in IL years. In ~ months he grew
Az inches and showed signs of maturing
In body and mind.
1t was decided to try the same treatment
with Jesse Van Vleck. The father went
to the big packing house in Kansas City
and explained why hc wanted thyroid
glands. 1t appeared that it was customary
to throw them away with the hide, and
the manager willingly gave him all he
wanted.
The thyroid gland of the sheep is 3 or
inches long, about half an inch wide and
gray in color 1t looks like fat 1t Is not
unpleasant to taste.
One Friday the gland was first given to
Jesse Van Week. 1t was cut up and mix
ed with potatoes, and he ate it cheerfully.
On the following Sunday, according to the
report, he was uneasy, complained OF
pains, was cross and finally put to bed.
All these symptoms were unusual with
him. They were regarded by the delighted
parents rs growing pains
On Monday no was well and very play
full. He shouted with glee and performed
feats of agility. Thenceforth the thyroid
gland was given to him regularly, and the
improvement in his condition continued.
The parents think the child has already
begun to grow, but there is no reliable evi-
dence on this point. His measurements
have been taken by the doctors and will be
compared at regular periods In future
New York World.