The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-21
TURNING INTO AN APE.
MYSTERIOUS MALADY OF A POLISH
JEW IN NEW YORK.
Reversion to . simian Body-Oniy One
other Case, That Of a Woman, Known
to he In Existence-Hands and Feet Re-
markably Affected.

John NJ. Molansky, a Polish Jew OF 10
Bayard street, New York, was discovered
10 be suffering from a strange and rare
disease known to medical science as "ac-
romegaly, f" an affection attended with on
largoment Of all proportions of the body,
such as the hands, feet, chin, nose, lips
and ears. The victim gradually comes to
resemble an ape, and the disease is held
by some to 10 a reversion from the human
TO the monkey type.
While the case IL not without precedent,
1t is yet so extremely rare in many of its
features that In all tho medical colleges
and clinics OF the city the "Molansky
case" as 10 Is now called, is IA topic OF fro
quent discussion.
Mr.. Molansky feels his misfortune in
tensely and abhors the notoriety which
the publicity Of his strange malady has
gained for him. 1t is for this reason that
medical men, skilled and learned In nerv-
Gus disorders, have been unable TO exam
inc the victim and give the case that at
tention which, in the interests Of science,
they desire to accord II.
Thus far Mr.. Molansky has been exam
ined by only a physician and a dentist,
n no refuses TO SEQ or even converse with
other physicians. The other day a well
known physician called upon him, being
accompanied by Mrs. Molansky. This
physician is an authority on nervous dis
orders and familiar with the we'll devel-
oped example of acromegaly at the Monte
fore Home For Chronic Inyalids in tho
person Of Mrs. Hanson.
Mrs. Molansky was very anxious that
the physician should examine her hus-
band. Molansky was found in his cracker
mandatory, but even before the physi-
oian spoke TO him no seemed very anxious
TO avoid observation, retreating to tho
darkest corner Of the store the moment the
outer door was opened 20 admit the visit
ors. Even after the object Of tho call was
explained to him he continued to glare
surlily at his visitors, holding his hands
behind his back and turning his face away
as much rs possible.
The physician explained TO him that no
had attended Mrs. Hanson and was per-
fectly familiar with her case, and that IL
Mr.. Molansky would submit to n brief ex-
animation for the purposes OF comparison
IL might result In the more Intelligent
treatment of both.
sis she your patientf' asked Molansky
suddenly. His voice was thick and gut
tural, and his articulation was evidently
labored.
"She was my patient" responded ths
doctor.
"Well, then, 7" exclaimed Molansky in a
quick burst of anger, treat you own pa
tient, for I'm no patient of yours
As he spoke, however, he extended his
arms in a passionate gesture, and tho doc
tor noted their extreme length. When they
fell back 10 his side, they appeared TO reach
fully to his knees. Tho hands were alb
normally large, having n swollen appear
nnce, but they possessed one inconsistency
In relation to the theory OF acromegaly@
the fingers seemed TO taper, apelike, rather
than To be, as the discoverer of that dis
ease, DIR. Pierre Marie, terms them, "bat'
tledoors,' or spade shaped"
II was plain, despite his efforts to hide
his face, that several features consistent
with acromegnly and several features in
consistent existed. The orbital ridges were
very projecting-a consistency-but there
was "A palpably greater growth on one side
of the face than on the other-an inconsist-
cncy. The abnormal growth, especially
about the mouth, in typical cases of aero
mcgaly are presumed to be uniform, but
In Molansky this Is not so.
The feet, incasod In shoes, look so largo
as to DO far out of proportion TO his height
and weight, while the shoulders have a
stoop that Is said To become moro pro-
nounoe each day. AS for the lips, they
have grown rapidly, and now, despite the
heavy beard which he wears, the lips can
be seen to be bullying In their contour.
DIR. Franklin, house surgeon at the
Montefore home, under whose charge
Mrs. Hanson has been for q number Of
years, is very much Interested in Nolan.
sky's case. He said:
"From what l havc learned Of this case
IL strikingly resembles that Of Mrs. Han
son, except there does not appear to be the
uniformity in the abnormal Rrowths. Mrs.
Hanson has the most typical case OF aero
mcgaly now known TO medical science.
No sure for the disease Is known. AL
that can DC lone Is Co arrest its course.
This has often been done.
"In The case of Mrs. Hanson tho hands
and feet present the appearance Of clo-
phantiasis, but pressure shows tho increase
is due ia thickening OF the bones. Tho
phaiaHges ef the fingers and tees and also
of the bones Of the hands and feet are
enormously thickened and certainly a lt
tie longthoned. The bones of the thigh
and the arm proper arc certainly hypertro-
phied.
THE cranid vault shows nc deformity.
There Is one difference which has been no
ticed In the case of Molansky from that OF
Mrs. Hanson and In the cases reported ny
such physicians as Erb, Virchow, Wilkes,
Hadlcy and Adler, and that Is that his
hands and fingers both appear TO be con.
siderably heightened.
81 have been told that Molansky's face
is altered In an extraordinary manner 10
Is heightened from above downward. Tho
upper law is thickened and markedly
prognathous, SO that the face takes tho
shape OF an elongated oval, projecting or
bital ridges surrounding thickencd lids
and prominent eyoballs, the latter appear
ing too small; n relatively low forehead,
decidedly r~etreeting. Its description, IL
NAV be nnlcd. corrrsnnnrA exncilv with