The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-23
DIED AT OLD AGE At MONTHS.
Marvellous Case of SenIIity shown in
st. Louis Infant


From the Philadelphia Press.
ST. Louis. Aug. Fisherman Robert
Burch died OF senlle debility at the age OF
S months"
That is the note made by DR.. Edward
Randall. 1921 North Eleventh street, as a
record Of the passing Of the most singular
case that ever came under the observa-
ton OF any physician with whose works
DR.. 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 nor opportunity to gather the
knowledge that comes of experience and
precept or the wisdom born Of thought.
His brain developed and ahen withered
with a rapidity comparable only to the
growth and decay of JOnah's gourd
The child first came under Or. RandaIrs
observation two weeks ago. when 10 was
brought 10 him at the North Side dispen-
sary for attention by it's mother DR..
Randall said il was the most remarka BILE
freak of nature that ever came under his
observation In the years he had been prac-
ticing medicine. He had never seen any
thing like IL, nor in any OF the medical
books had read any accounts Of a similar
case. II only regret" said the physician.
that l did not get TO see the case sooner.
When 1 first saw the child il had a fully
developed though not an abnormaUv
large head, and the body Of an infant. Ii
was clear that the body Of the chlld-if I
may call Il a chEd-had not developed
since 1t was two days old. 1t was about
eighteen inches long and woefully ema-
ciated and shrunken. There was scarcely
an ounce Of flesh on its tiny bones.
But the face and head made the strik-
ing feature. The head was wedge-shaped.
broad at the top and tapering to a point
at the chin. IL was surmounted by a
crop of dark brown hair. rather scant.
but strong and of fun size. II was not
such hair as grows on the head of and
S-months-old babe 1t was strong and
as coarse as that of a man OF mature
age.
THE brow was broad and wrinkied.
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.
The cheeks We're sunken and pinched,
giving to the child a weird haggard look.
The lips were thin and compressed, and
the skin Of the jowl hung down as in the
case of an emaoiated old person
THE eyes were startling They were
small and black. and were set deep in
strange, unnatural light They were the
eyes of fully matured person. such as
one sees in certain phases OF insanity.
The expression was, at times, one OF
cunning. Then a change would suddenly
be observed, and the direst fear would
be reflected from them. At all times,
however, the eyes We're restless and the
expression shlfty.
'On the upper lip was a slight mustache
plainly outlined, while all over the face a
struggling beard was discernible.
There were no teeth in the gums; in
fact the abnormal development seemed to
DE confined TO the brain and skull the IA
cial expression having been formed by
mental process. The anterior and posterior
fontella were as fully developed as in a
person rs years old. / examined these care
fully and could detect where the cavities
had been and could see they had not been
filled naturally. They were filed slight
ly 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, I should say
brittle and chalky as an aged PERSONS
when the strange being first entered
the dispensary and / saw the expression
OF the eyes / thought the child was in
sane. Since I have Learned the full history
Of the case I am convinced that my hasty
diagnosis was partially correct
1.-THE child was insane, though It was
not the idiocy of the infant, but the
imbecility of old age. The head had de-
veloped so rapidly that the gray matter
in the brain had no time TO perform its
functions II the body had afforded
enough sustenance 1 am inclined to think
that the childs mind would have cleared
and it might have become phenomenally
bright. though that is a speculation that
will hardly stand analysis. However, the
child is dead and we can only class II
as one of the freaks that nature puts
forth in an experimental mood"
The parents told of the birth OF Sher-
man Robert without reserve. He was
one of twins The other was a girl
born dead. Sherman Robert was born
with a caul, or veil, which in many couu-
tries is supposed to give a child the gin
of prophecy and in others is believed to
be guaranty of immunity from death by
drowning.
1.-THE baby was unusually Bright" said
the father HE began TO notice almost as
soon as he was born, and by the time he
was a week old he seemed to know as much
as his older brother, who was about a
year old. He didn't try to talk, but he
would look at you as though he knew what
you were thinking about He never did
like a little old woman. He was sickly
from the first and we tried everything we
could to bring him out, but it was of no
use About two months ago his mind be-
gan to fail, and he was never right bright
after that. One doctor said he had con-
sumption, and there was consumption in
my wife's family, so 1 guess that was the
trouble"
DR.. Randall is Nositive that the child
Il
cough and had no other indication of pull
monary affection. There will be no autopsy
on the child who died of old age. The
doctors who know of the case say that
while it would be interesting it would not
serve any good purpose. The case was a
freak, interesting because of it's rarity
and affording food for speculation as to
why Mother Nature sometimes departs
from her fixed and settled rules.