The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-04-01
WOMAN BEING EATeN ALIVE
Her Body Invaded With AnimaIicule
Which are Destroying Her.

which are Destroying Her.
Chicago, March 31.-Mrs. Theodore
Couet, whose home is at No. Sc Vernon
Park place, is the victim of a strange
aff1iction.
Millions Of animalcules have been lit
orally devouring her alive The tiny
creatures, to which a specific name has
not been given, are of most hideous as
pect, vary in size from that of a grain Of
sand to an inch and a half in length,
with the circumference of a lead pencil.
The entire system of the woman may be
said to be impregnated with them, but
they abound most in the stomach, nose,
ears and scalp.
Mrs. COuet is of French-Canadian
birth, and came to Chicago with her
husband from Quebec about thirty
years ago. Since that time they have
been residents of the West Side, their
present home being at No. Sc Vernon
Park place. Her husband, who has fol-
lowed the trade of a carpenter since
coming to this city, is now lying at the
point of death with dropsy of the heart.
Mrs. COuet was until about five years
ago apparently a perfectly healthy
woman. She is the mother of ten chill
dren and is now 40 years of age.
About five years ago Mrs. Couet be-
came subject to parOXysms of pains in
the region Of the abdomen. A number
OF physicians were consulted, but they
were unable to agree upon a diagnosis.
The majority of them, however. held
the opinion that the trouble was caused
by gall stones and advocated an opera
ton for their removal. Before consent
ing to the operation Mrs. Couet insisted
on consulting DR.. D. Dion, a woman
physician of the regular school After
an examination DR.. Dion advised
against the operation, saying she did
not think the trouble due to gall stones,
but at the same time confessed her in
ability to understand the case.
Mrs. Couet was guided by the advice
of DR.. Dion and the operation for gall
stones was not performed. Her health
continued to fail. and her sufferings in
creased until about five months ago,
when she was unable to arise from her
bed, exhausted by paroxysms Of pain
which seized her every few hours.
About two months ago she gain sent
for DR.. Dion. As the latter says. by &C.
c;dent she discovered the cause of Mrs.
Couet's affiiction and developed the fact
that she was literally alive with little
beasts" which might be clasSed as in
fusoria or animalcules.
It SlIdnSeleSS Oh the case. the ser
ious illness of Mr.. Couet, ard unhappy
finacial condition of the family, induced
DR.. Dion TO at once take Mrs. CCuet to
her own home at No. 373 Bowen avenue.
Il have been completely engrossed by
the case of Mrs. Couet," said DR.. Dion
yesterday, and have neglected my bus
mess and everything else TO attend to
il. If II were not wrong to say so. one
would term it a malediction rather than
an afiliction. What that woman has
suffered in body and mind no tongue can
tell"
rs she improving under your treat
ment?"
81 am thankful. more than thankful.
to say she is. But the maIady IS by no
means overcome. know Of nothing TO
equal the rapidity with which the little
beasts as I call them, breed and devel-
op. If I remove one the size of my
thumbnail from her scalp. for instance,
within two hours another one fully "a
large. crawling and biting. Will be in its
place. In some respects the little ami
mails in her resemble the infusoria some
times found in stagnant water. In diff
ferent parts Of the body they vary in
size and appearance. but l have con-
clusively proved that they are Of the
same origin. / have. by the aid Of the
glasses watched the development Of the
creatures from the first stage TO the last.
The rapidity with which they multiply
is almost incredible. I have preserved
living specimens which came from the
woman. and in an incredibly short time
they have increased by thousands"
How did they originateE"
THAT question 1 do not wish 10 ans
wer now"
can you tell?''
Eyes. have traced them 70 their orig
in. I believe that have discovered a
disease that has afflicted humanity per-
haps for ages and has never been rec
ognized by medical scientists"
DO you not intend u give 70 human
ity the benefit Of your discovery"
Yes; l am perfectly willing 10 give
70 the medical profession all 1 have
learned. but I do not wish 10 be accused
Of seeking notoriety-I dread IL"
rs the mal2dy which has attacked
Mrs Couet liable 10 be incurred by
others2"
My lnvesuga atoms have convinced me
that. while everybody IS not liable -
il. nobody Is safe from IL"
May / ask II i Is caused by using
impure water or food?"
'sBy neither. As | have said I have
traced these animalCules or infusoria.
70 so designate them 20 their origin. bu,
what that IS do not now wish 20 say