The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-12
BODY OF CHILD,
BRAIN OF ADULT
Death of Marie Schumann Re-
calls Many Cases Of Arrested
Development.
WAS 90 YEARS OF AGE
Spent Practically tho Whole of He.
Life in a Baby's cradle-Puzzle
to the Physicians Who
Saw Her.

Marie Schumann, q young woman
who had spent practically the whole of
her life of twenty-eight years in a
baby's cradle, died last week at Stock
erau, Germany.
appearance of a sabe, but was blessed
with an adult mind and talked as sem
sibly and intelligently as any full
grown member Of her sex. She was
visited by most of the leading ply
sicians and Psychologists of the conti-
nent, to whom she proved a peculiarly
perpleXtng puzzle. She was also made
n scterkisc effusions, but her case
vas beyond the wit of medical men to
understand.
The mother attributed the arrested
growth of her child to a fright which
befell herself on returning home from
the christening when the infant was
only a few months old. This was
caused by the sight Of her dwelling be-
Ing carried away by the swollen wa
trs Of the Danube during a flood. From
that time forward the baby failed to
grow and spent the greater part Of her
life in her cradle, tenderly watched by
her mother. Strangers used to be
amazed at hearing an apparently help
less infant talking away with all the
years.
Years Equal Her Weight.
In Miss jamie Loder of Marion. In
DIANA possesses an extraordinary ex-
emple of arrested feminine growth. For
this little woman is not more than AZ
Inches in height, although she Is now
upwards of 60 years. of age. Her
weight is barely as many pounds, and
In most other respects she is to all
mtents and purposes a mere babe.
Her chief delight is playing with
children and dolls, of the latter of
which she OWNS about a score. She
still considers herself O little girl, and
the favorite topic of her conversation,
Ind one of which she never grows tired,
Is what she is going to do when she
grows up. This extraordinary woman
provided for, her parents having left
her a considerable sum of money when
they died.
A boy Of 6, who was recently pro-
duced in a lawsuit at Minneapolis, was
only the size and weight of a babe of
IS many months. His mother, Mrs.
Bertha Anderson. carried him into
saw the child the doctors present be-
came interested in him.
Thyroid Gland MISSING.
After an examination they found
that his lack of growth was due to the
absence of the thyroid gland, one of
the large glands of the neck. Medical
science has never been able to discover
the precise function of this gland. but
It is a well known physiological fact
growth Of the body. The mother had
on various occasions received tempting
offers from showmen for permission to
exhibit the baby, but she had resisted
them all.
A still more extraordinary case was
reported from the town Of Beaver. Pa.
John Murphy, who at the ripe age Of
b6 years weighed less than thirty
pounds. He died in his Seth year. up
to which time he never knew what It
was to walk a step, stand, sit, lie down,
or, IN fact. occupy any position Of at
ttude usual to the human frame.
He was, In fact, SO utterly deformed that
physicians who had the opportunity of
seeing and examining him pronounced
him to be the worst case Of deformity the
world had ever seen. There was not a
perfect bone or muscle in the whole of his
anatomy, which was SO badly drawn out
OF human semblance that a special kin
Of chair had to be constructed for his nc
commodation.
Brain Only Is Developed.
Though quite repulsive to look upon, he |
ate. drank, and appeared to fully enjoy
lie. One thing about him; however. was |
absolutely perfect, and that was his brain.
1t was both healthy and active, and his
memory was SO wonderfully ~retentiye and
as to almost constitute him . |
mental prodigy.
On one occasion a baby was brought to 1
light in a police court when a destitute
woman applied to the Justice for financial
assistance. She was carrying what ap-