The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-01

WRITTEN FoR THE SUNDAY
Child OF the Fatal Number 49, or to
Whom Shall the Monument Be Erected2'
IS the story Of the unusual life of a child OF
IA. written by her older sister under the
most trying circumstances.
The principal character in tho book 4.
Anita George OF No. ESQ Lucas avenue. and
the author Mrs. Berta Hunter. who died at
the Baptist 6enitar1um last summer, a few
hours after she was married.
The book tells Of the recovery of the
child after having swallowed concentrates
I've at the age OF 2 years and battling for
four and q half years against the compl!-
cations that followed.
The final operation was given wide pub
licity in the medical journals at the time.
The child's suferings and its manner OF
living will be revealed in tho book.
On Anita's second birthday she swal-
lowed a quantity OF concentrated I've. The
fact was quickly discovered by the mother
and the child given vinegar, which, 1t Is
said. saved her hfe.
q Anita's tongue was % swollen that she
could not draw It into her mouth. and the
mucous membrane was burned from her
stomach.
The doctors called to attend the child
could do nothing for her.
Nothing could be fed to the little girl. For
several weeks she lived by having sustain.
ing fluids injected into her blood. When
sufficient time had elapsed for the stomach
TO heal an effort was made to feed Anita
She could not swallow.
An examination revealed that the men,
brane Of the o~esophagus or food duct, had
grown together. Food taken into the mouth
and swallowed would be forcibly expelled.
There was no wey to got food into the
h:ld's stomach. All hope for It's life was
about abandoned. when Mrs. George
CHANGED to read Of a person being sustained
by absorption.
The method was tried and proved success
full. The main stay OF Anita's life was a
raw beefsteak placed on her stomach every
morning. From this she drew sustenance
and was uneasy whenever 1t was removed.
She learned to talk before the accident.
and seemed able to tell just when the
strength of the steak had been exhausted.
She would demand another and was restless
and peevish until another was put in place.
Besides the steak. the white of eggs. which
is almost pure aibumen, was rubbed into
her skin daily by her mother.
The other necessary OF life is water. She
could be made to swallow eight teaspoon
fulls three times q day.
The water in time was diluted with wine
and the Juice from cherries and this proved
more beneficial. Anita lived this way for
a year. Then 1t seemed as II her life was
about to go out. Her weight had decreased
from 22la pounds to 9 pounds and she was
gradually wasting away.
Physicians had repeatedly said there was
no nope Tor her recovery. upon the plea
of the mother. a doctor was found to I'M
dertake an operation.
A rubber tube was inserted into the stom-
ach, which by this time was in a normal
condition from its long rest.
Nourishment was administered In this
new way, the child began to recover.
Here again the devotion Of the mother
saved the little life. 1t is necessary that
food be mixed with saliva before 1t can be
assimilatcd.
Every particle of food received by Anita
was first chewed by Mrs. George and placed
in her daughters stomach through a funnel.
which was placed in the end of the rubber
tube.
Anita grew stronger and was as cheerful
as other children of her age.
But the obstruction still prevented her