The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-30
SHEDS HIS SKIN.
J. HI. Price, a Montana Miner,
a Phenomenon.
Each Spring Cuticle Peels OFF
and Is Replaced.
BEGUN WHEN EIGHT.
Endures Sickness Peculiar to
Birds in MOulting.
Entire Skin Comes OFF, Even
Finger and Toe Nails.
BEGUN WHEN EIGHT.

Chicago, June 3O.-Chicago physi-
clans who have twice attended John H.
Price a miner of Phillipsburg, Mont,
during his marvellous annual expert
ence of shedding his entire skin, are
watching with interest for develop
ments in the case this year. They have
been notified that the sufferer from this
phenomenon, which occurs regularly
July "a, has gone to a Butte institution,
where the preliminary symptoms are
being observed by scientists and medi-
cal men.
Among the surgical specimens in st.
Elizabeth's hospital, this city, is Mr..
Prices skin of last year, which was re-
moved in sections. put together and
stuffed For the two weeks in which
he was enduring the sickness peculiar
to reptiles and birds in shedding or
moulting time he was under the OBJ
servation of Drs. J. Frank, Macarthur,
Beran and others, who saw him gradu-
ally part with his cuticle and nails and
appear in a skin as white as that OF a
baby. In 1890 he underwent in the
same institution the same experience,
and in the past 81 years at various
places he has annually exchanged his
old skin for a brand new one.
The medical men were at sea for an
explanation. They recorded that the
victim of natures freak was in sp1en-
did health, that his blood was pure and
his discarded and new skins were like
those of other persons. "A history of
the case was written by DR.. J. Frank
of II Lincoln avenue, who merely mar
rated the symptoms, details and min
utiae observed by him. He gave the
patients age as 40 years and he COM
menced shedding his skin when he was
8 years old. The process has varied in
length every year.
From a scientific standpoint it is
most interesting" said DR.. Frank yes
Tor ,feI,a l. r,EA
mony in Darwin's theory of evolution;
no other explanation is plausible. In
the medical records of 1000 years the
case has no parallel. 1t is approached
man and the other of a Nebraska Wo-
man, who are reported to have shed
their skin five or six times.
Price becomes i'll every year with
unfailing regularity about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon on July "a. The first
symptoms are a paroxysm and accom-
panying weakness, lasting fifteen min
utes. Muscular tremors, nausea, ris-
ing temperature and rapid pulsation
follow Sometimes the patient is de-
lirious for three or four days. On the
third day the skin loOsens and begins
to come off in strips. It is all off
from his scalp to the soles of his feet
usually within two weeks. sometimes
longer. The finger nails become loose
gradually and are not removed until
after the skin is entirely off. The toe
nails are the last to be removed.
when Price was a, boy the shedding
process was more rapid than now. 1t
commenced on the second or third day
after the sickness and was complete in
ten or twelve days. understand that
recently the entire operation has con-
sumed eighteen or twenty days. The
toe nails are off within four weeks.
In the case I observed the patient
had a high fever the first evening. His
temperature arose to lob degrees Fab
renheit and his pulse registered 80,
which is 20 above normal. There was
accompanying nausea. The skin con-
gested and the pores closed up. The
next day he was feeling better, the fever
was absent and his pulse nearly nor
NAL. The third day the skin commenced
to peel from his body. It came off in
great sheets in places. The skin of
his hands came off like gloves and
that of his feet like slippers or mecca
sins. This process occupied eighteen
days and the left mOccaSin was the last
to peel off. It was some days later
before he got rid of his old nails
His new skin was tender, but quick
ly hardened and did not keep him from
his work more than a day Price told
feet as slippers for a few days, as his
feet remained very tender the first
week.
The cuticle is thickest on the soIes
of the feet and thinnest on the face.
If Price chose to be patient the skin
could be removed almost entire, except
from the scalp. Under the hair the
cuticle comes off in scales and there is
little loss of hair These are the facts.
1 have no logical explanation and
have never heard anyone attempt to
give a reason for the phenomenon Al
though the shedding of Prices skin is
similar to the annual experience of a
reptile, the miner is a splendid speci-
men of physical manhood. His blood
and skin do not differ from those of
other persons"