Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-04
Mrs. E. NJ. Mallory, Council
Bluffs, Afflicted With nis $50
known as Elephan'i is
HAS HAD 1T FIFTEEN YEARS
Curious Friendship, Born of Sympathy
With Each Other, Between Mrs. NAL
Tory and the Late Mrs. Annie e..
Lynch, Mckeesport, Pa, Who Was
Similarly Afflieted-Iowa News.
pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
| Council Bluffs, Sept. 4.--one of the
most interesting features of a medica!
society meeting ever held in the west
was before the convention of the Med
Ical Society of the Missouri Valley in
this city today. when Mrs. e. M. NAL
Tory Of Council Bluffs. WHO is suffer-
ing from that rare disease known as
elephantiasis. appeared before the
medical men, and whose case was
studied and discussed by them.
Disease is Incurable,
The disease is incurable and has
been the subject of discussion bly, med
ical men the country over. Mrs. NAL
Tory was willing to afford what assist
! ance is possible in the way of a. per-
sonal study of the disease, in the hope
that the knowledge thus gained may
some day result in benefit to some 9th
er sufferer. Mrs. Mallory is aware Of
the fact that she cannot recover. hay
ing been told SO by physicians, althp
she Is not entirely without hope that
some remedy may possibly be discov-
cred which may benefit her She Is
able to get about some with the aid
of a cane, but only with difficulty
Woman of Rare Intelligence.
She is a woman of uncommon intel
ligence and pleasing address. and.
while fully understanding the situa-
ton, she is a devout Christian woman
and faces the gruesome prospect before
her with placid confidence and uncom
planning cheerfulness. She says herself.
my Grace is Sufficient
|. Because of friendship born of af-
Fiction common to both, the recent
death of Mr. Annie E. Lynch, in Nc
Keesport, Pa. had for Mrs. Mallory a
peculiar interest, second ony to that
felt by the immediate relatives of the
dead woman. Yet Mrs. Mallory had
never seen Mrs. Lynch. The two won-
en- We're not in any manner related
Their only bond was one of sympathy.
due to the fact that they were similarly
afflicted.
Afflicted Fifteen Years.
Mrs. Mallory became afflicted with
the disease about fifteen years ago.
Altho she has visited the best physi-
clans on both coasts, and many special
lists, none of them diagnosed her case
as elephantiass and her case baffled
the skill Of all whom she consulted I'M
til three years ago, when she consulted
a Denver physician. who pronounced
the disease elephantiasis. About a year
ago Mrs. Mallory read newspaper
article telling of the case of Mrs.
Lynch. She sent the clipping with a
letter Of inquiry, and received reply.
The correspondence thus begun, was
maintained until just before Mrs.
Lynch's death. which occurred on July
81 last.
Mrs. Lynch Weighed $50 Pounds.
Mrs. Lynch had been afflicted with
the disease nineteen years. When first
attacked, she was 45 years old, and
she died at the age of GA years. Be
fore the effects of the disease were
manifested, she weighed slightly over
100 pounds. She was confined to her
home for seventeen years, and for
twelve years before her death she
could not leave her bed. AT the time
of her funeral, few days ago, how
ever, it was stated that the combined
weight of the casket and the body
was nearly 1920 pounds. and was
thirty-six inches deep The largest
single grave ever prepared, received
the body. The grave was five and one
half feet wide and a fraction over
seven feet long. Eighteen pail bear
ers were required, and no hearse Of
sufficient size could be found. The
disease affected both lower limbs. The
left leg measured eighty-five inches,
or more than seven feet in circum
ference. The right leg was seventy
six inches in circumference. The
greatest enlargement was below the
knees, and the feet could barely be
seen protruding from shapeless masses
of swollen flesh.
Curious ,FIocI<ed to Funeral.
The Lynch residence was visited, at
ter the death, by thousands of curious
people, who We're restrained into some
semblance of order, only by the eff
forts of a number Of officers, and it
was estimated that 1,500 persons at
tended the funeral the services being
delayed by the necessity of gratifying
their curiosity to see the huge coffin
after it had been lowered into the
grave.
AS In the case of Mrs. Lynch, Mrs.
Mallory and her family are averse to
notoriety. 1t developed in the case of
Mrs. Lynch, that about ten years ago
offers were made to her family of an
nual payments of $12,5O0, if they
would induce her to permit herself to
be exhibited. The offer was at once
rejected by the son, to whom it was
made, and David Lynch, husband, of
the afflicted woman, did not even know
of it until after his wife's death.