The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-08-30
QUEER MANIA.
A Topeka Girl Who Loves to
Pour CarbOlic Acid
Upon Her Body Making Big
Red SpIOtches,
is FINALLY TIED III
To Keep Her From Disffguring
Her Body.
Her Habit Due to a Peculiar
Nervous Disorder.

Alice Riley, IA years of age, daugh-
ter of John w. Riley of Ut Chestnut
street, pours strong carbolic acid on
various parts of her body from time to
time until there are large splotches of
inf1amed tissue there.
Several Topeka doctors examined the
case and for a long time were puzzled.
Instead of healing the sores got worse
and multiplied.
Patches varying from the size of a
quarter to that of two or three inches
in diameter were made on the girls
wrists, arms, neck, breast and lower
limbs by the application of carbolic ac-
id.
Physicians who examined the girls
sores pronounced it a primary form of
blood poisoning. This exactly suited
the strange mania of the girl and she
straightway, applied more acid. Her
body was a mass of sores, and her faith
er, John w. Riley, who is janitor of the
Third Presbyterian church, applied to
the Salvation Army officials for admis-
sion for his daughter into the hospital.
She was admitted and is being cared
for. At the hospital it was noticed that
the carbolic acid bottle was being used
by some one, and this led to her detec-
ton
The supply was hidden and the girls
sores began to heal and no new ones
have appeared.
Alice Riley is a malingerer A malin-
gerer is one who shamS certain all
ment for the purpose of deceiving peo-
pie. 1t is nervous disease which is
form of hysteria. She burns her body
with carbOlic acid in order to arouse
the interest of the doctors. Her nerves
are in such condition that this condi-
tion of affairs is as natural with her
now as it is for her to eat Otherwise
the girl is in excellent health. She is
plump with intelligent blue eyes, rather
even features and thick, red lips. Her
skin is exceptionally white and clear.
On her arms, which have been burned
with the acid, the parts not touched
with it, are remarka bly, fair and pref
ty.e The scars made by touching the
acid cork to her flesh will never dis
appear The eruptions will heal, but
there will always be red spots where
the skin was burned On the arms and
limbs, the liquid put on the skin, fol-
lowed the course of gravitation, and
made long streak. This fact aided in
the discovery of her peculiar habit. The
point of application burned deep. while
These marks were all over the girls
arms and limbs. Asked why she did it,
she said:
Il was scrubbing and I got some lye
on my hand, and a woman who lives
near us, told me that carbolic acid was
good for sore of that kind. She put
some on my hand. The rest of the
sores came on me afterward. The doe
tors thought it was blood poisoning"
The girl cannot be relied upon to tell
the truth. She is incorrigibIe in this
particular. In order to keep her from
using carbolic acid to burn herself the
nurses at the Salvation Army hospital
have had to tie strips of cloth about her
so that she could not injure herself. 1t
was only lately that the symptoms of
the peculiar nervous disorder have ap-
peared. Previous to that Alice Riley
had attended the public schools. Her
family being in poor circumstances, she
has worked at different houses as SerV-
ant. She appears to be a bright girl
and intelligent, but given to excessive
preVarication.
The medical journals now have a de-
scription of the case and the Topeka
medical societies will discuss it.