The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-24
DIED OF OLD AGE.
Yet This Child Was Only Eight
Months Old.
Marvellous Case OF Senility shown In q
st. Louis Infant.


That Is the note made by DR. Edward
Randall of 362l North Eleventh street, st.
Louis, as "a record of the passing Of the
most singular case that ever came under
the observation Of any physician with
whose works DIR. Randall is acquainted,
The child was born last December, and
Monday he died of old age. He had passed
through all the intellectual phases that are
common to mankind, but so rapidly that
he had not the time or opportunity to
gather the knowledge that comes of ex-
perience and precept or the wisdom born
of thought. His brain developed and then
withered with n rapidity comparable only
TO the growth and decay of Jonah's gourd.
The child first came under DIR. Randall's
observation two weeks ago, when it was
brought to him at the North Side dispen-
sary for attention by its mother. DIR. Ran
dali said it was the most remarkable freak
of nature that ever came under his obser-
walton in the years he had been practicing
medicine. He had never seen anything
like it, nor in any of the medical books
had he read any accounts Of similar case.
II only regret, said the physician, THAT
did not get TO sec the case sooner. When
first saw the child, it had fully develop
ed though not an abnormally large head
and the body of an infant 1t was clear
that the body of the child-if / may call 1t
child-had not developed since IL was
days old 1t was about Is inches long
and woefully emaciated and shrunken.
There was scarcely an ounce of flesh on its
tiny bones.
"But the face and head made the strik
ing features. The head was wDlge shaped,
broad at the top and tapering to point at
the chin. 1t was surmounted by n crop of
dark brown hair, rather seant, but strong
and of full size. 1t was not such hair as
grows on the head of an Smonths-od
babe. 1t was strong and rs coarse as that
of man of mature age.
"The brow was broad and wrinkled, and
the crows feet always seen around the
eyes of aged persons were plainly visible.
The character lines on either side of the
nose were plain and deep.
1.-THE checks were sunken and pinched,
giving to the child n weird, haggard look.
The lips were thin and compressed, and
the skin of the jowlhung down as In the
case of an emaciated old person
1.-The eyes were startling. They were
small and black and were set deep In the
sockets, and they sparkled with a strange,
unnatural light They were the eyes of q
fully matured person, such as one sees in
certain phases Of insanity. The expression
was at times one of cunning Then n
change would suddenly be observed, and
the direst fear would be reflected from
them At all times, however, the eyes
were restless and the expression shifty.
"On the upper lip was n slight mustache
plainly outlined, while all over the face q
J,, Il III
There were no teeth in the gums In
fact the abnormal development seemed to
be confined TO the brain and skull, tho
facial expression having been formed by
mental process. The anterior and posterior
fontella were as fully developed as in
person 20 years old. l examined these care
fully and could detect where the cavities
had been and could see that they had not
been filled naturally They were filed
slightly below the line of formation The
plate covering the cavity where they had
been was perfectly solid. In fact, all the
bones in the child's head, and especially in
the upper part, were extremely hard, and
from the appearance and touch l should
say brittlo and chalky as an aged persons.
"When the strange being first entered
the dicpensary and / saw the EXPRESSION
of the eyes l thought the child was insane.
SAGE have learned the full history of the
case i am convinced that my hasty dag
nosis was partially correct.
1.-THE child was iSCane, though 10 was
not the idiocy OF the infant, but tho imbo-
cility OF old age Tho head h:d developed
so rapidly that the grey matter in the brain
had no time TO perform its functions. If
the BODY had afforded enough sustcDancc,
L am inclined To think that tho chid's
mind would have cleared, and it might
have become phcnomcnally bright, though
that is speculation that viii hardly stand
analysis. However, the child Is dead and
we can only class it as ono Ct the freaks
that nature puts forth In an experimental
mood"
Tho parents told OF tho birth of Sherman
Robert without reserve lie was one OF
twins The other was a girl, born dead
Sherman Robert was born with caul, or
veil, which In many countries IL supposed
60 give q child the gift OF prophecy and In
others is believed 90 bo n guarantee of i'm
munity from death by drowning.
"The baby was unusually bright said
the father. "He began TO notice almost
as soon as he was born, and by the tlno
he was week old he seemed to know as
much as his older brother, who was about
year old. He didn't try TO talk, but he
would look at you as though ho know
what you were thinking about lie never
did look like a child or oct like one. IIo
was like little old woman. lie was
sickly from the first, and VIC tried every
thing we could 90 bring him out, bat it
was of no use About two months ago his
mind began 10 fail, and he was never right
bright aftar that. One doctor said he had
consumption, and there was consumption
I'm my wife's family, so / guess that was
the sxoublc."
Dr. Randall is positive Tint tho child did
not have consumption. IL Gid not cough
and had no other indication Of pulmonary
affection. There will be no autopsy on the