The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-30
FLESH FEELING OFF.
William Wood the Victim of Mys
 terious Disease.

William Wood the Victim of a Mys-
 terious Disease.
 MT. William Wood a resident of Rockey Ridge Frederick county, Md, was admitted to the City Hospital Sat urday last for treatment of one of the rarest, and at the same time, one of the most peculiar diseases known to medi- cal science. It is known medically as "dermatitis exfoliative universalis," and the victim of such malady is usu- ally dubbed "the human fish, by phy- sicians Dermatitis is the medical term for inflammation of the skin, while exfoliativa universalis literally means that the skin over ones entire body is shedding in scales like those of a fish.
 The origin of the disease is a mys- tery and owing to the fact that there are but very few cases of it on record little is known of the symptoms and the early stages of it. It has been the general opinion among the leading practitioners throughout this and other countries that the disease is curable, but MT. Woods case seems to be an ex- ception. Once before, a trifie over four years ago, MT. Wood suffered an at- tack Being his firstexperience with it he came to this cityN3immediately and consulted the highest medical authori- ties here. They assured him that he could be cured, and for nearly four months he was treated and watched over carefully by number of phy- sicians, the case creating a great deal of interest in the profession.
 Finally the scales ceased to form and the skin once more assumed the usual flexible appearance. Mir. Wood was told that he was permanently cured and appeared to be none the worse from the disease, save for a little pain caused by the cracking of the skin which caused the flesh to have the appearance of be- ing raw. The patient returned to his home and for three years there were no indications of a retiirn of the disease.
 About a year aga However, MT Wood noticed bits of hard skin, resembling corn, forming at various places on his body. These grew slowly and became more numerous steadily until the entire body was "peppered" and then the skin began to crack and fall off in scales. About a week ago MT. Wood felt con- fident that his old malady had paid him another visit and as the disease was gaining such alarming headway he again came to this city.
 He applied to Dr. Melvin Rosenthal ! for treatment, and that physician placed him in the City Hospital In treating the disease the patient is kept damp all the time by the application of olive oil and salicylic acid. The skin absorbs the moisture like a sponge and the patient | requires constant attention, for the ! solution by keeping the flesh moist | causes new skin to grow. Dr. Wilbur Lurtin, of the house staff who was the patient fin charge, stated yesterday that a dustpan full of the scales were taken from the patients bed four or five times day. He also said he thought it | would require fully three or four | months before MT, Wood would be in | a condition to return to his home. Dr. | Rosenthal will take advantage of the 1 opportunity to show the case to other members of the medical profession at a.
 meeting of the Medical and Chirurgical Society of this city in about two weeks 1 time when he expects the disease to be at it's height.
 The disease is said to be non-con- i agious.-Baltimore American,