The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-30
TURNING HIM INTO AN APE.
The Strange Disease Prom which q New
York Baker Is Suffering.

York Baker Is Suffering.
New York. Nov. ga medical case
or the greatest interest was presented
TO clinic at the New York College OF
Dentistry last week. when DIR, f. ID.
Weise, one OF the medical staff intro
duced John M. Molanski OF 10 Bayard
street, who is suffering from what Is
known In medical science as acromy-
gala. 1t is regarded as one of the
rarest and most mysterious diseases
10 which human kind Is subject. Med
ical authorities differ as to the exact
nature OF the disease. some believing
that IL Is not really a disease. but
form OF physical atavism, or a ten
dency to return to the original species.
or reversion to the primitive type OF
man.
Molanski is undergoing a bodily met
amorphosis. His face is gradually be-
Ing transformed from its natural APP
pc arance into a strong animal type,
with protruding under jaw and over
hanging brows, which a heavy beard
and head OF hair but partially conceal.
HIS hands and feet are growing longer
and larger. and are already taking on
the appearance of those OF a monkey
He suffers no personal inconvenience,
and is daily engaged in the business
OF cracker manufacturer at % Cherry
street. His disease, IL 1t may so be
called, is not contagious, being only a
state of retrogression. 1t Is not more
than nine years ago that acromygalia
nrst made Its appearance and was rec
ognized. There are only 20 cases on
record. and that OF Molanski is the
only one now known TO be in existence
1t is only a short time ago that Mo-
lanski came under the care of Dr.
Weise of the New York College of Den
tistry, and of DIR. Allan Starr OF the
New York College of Physicians and
Surgeons. Last week DIR. weise in
PRODUCED him to his class at the col
lege. Molanski there spoke as follows:
Il am IL years Of age, and for one
year and half 1 have suffered from
general feebleness, pain In my teeth
and difficulty of articulation. / was
well until i was SO years of age, when
l began to suffer pain in the top of my
head. At first these attacks came on
about every four weeks. Then they
came on more frequently A druggist
first treated me, and l took his medi-
cine for about two years. Then, my
headache becoming unbearable. / went
TO a doctor, who gave me medicine to
stop the pain. In about two years Il
ceased to do me any good, and lost
all hope.
my voice changed and my features
In the fall of 1894 I went to
out my teeth soon began to trouble
me. and I grew weaker That winter
L went TO two other doctors, whose
medicine made me i'll. 1 spent a few
weeks in home. My teeth became so
bad l was advised to go to a dentist
who did some work for me, but my
lower Jaw grew misplaced, and between
I ne difficulties of taking food and per-
forming proper salvation my stomach
suffers"
DIR. Weise then asked Molansli to
retire from the lecture room After he
had done 50 the doctor Informed the
students that they had just seen one
or the strangest and most remarkable
to which human kind is
subject. Molanski, he declared, was
not suffering from mental troubles
alone, but from a nervous disease that
might possibly result in paralysis. DIR. |
Weise later communicated the facts OF |
Molanskfs peculiar affiiction TO DR. |
starr, who examined him and agreed |
With DR.. Weise that the man is suffer- |
ng from acromygalia. They decided |
70 treat him together and study the |
disease.
Acromygalia was first recognized in
Paris by DR.. p. Marie, and from him
s sometimes called Marie's disease /
only 20 cases have been recorded. and /
n the present time Molanski stands |
ilone IN ohe world as a specimen of its
possibility. Ut is always attended with
Enlargement Of all projecting portions
II the body. such as hands, feet, chin.
lose, lips and ears. The lower Jaw
becomes "undershot," the supraorbltal
'idges over the lips protrude. the
'heeks are fiattened, the forehead be-
zones low and retreating, the hair
itunted and thick and the whole an
'earance resembles that of the ape.
Freund, the German scientist. has as
erted that the disease Is an actual re-
urning to the primitive form OF hu-
nanity. and the great anatomist Klebs
leld the same view. Virchow. how
yer, regards acromygalia as a ner-
Gus disease. and upon this hypothe-
is Professors Weise and Starr are
reating Molansh Freund's theory
'reeludes' all possibility OF cure. and
n the few known cases no treatment
as proved at all successful