The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-03
AN OLD BABY
Woman Stopped Growing at Five-Is
Now Twenty.Th

London, Nov. BIN an isolated cot
tage by quiet byroad in the small
hamlet of Cove, Devon, lives girl
who, though %, years old, has never
grown up.
Her name is Mildred Hart, and she
is the daughter of q carpenter. Since
she was five years old she has not
developed either physically or mem
tally. Her teeth are those she cut as
an infant, and she has reained all
her baby ways.
She was seated in a baby's chair
nursing a doll when an interviewer
tentered the cottage. Every now and
Efhs she would kiss the dollsand then
hold 1T up for her syounger sister, a
ttal1 girl sof co. with the command in
broad Devon, "Kissun."
Her clothes even to her little socks
and shoes are such as one Is accus-
toned to see on child of five. She
takes some pride in her garments. She
as some children of five, but will an
her sister asked her who made her
clothes she replied, "Mudde,," and
answered several other queries in
iA4AOAVoyAAoOA0S' 11Ol uOIllCl 6CAll
nurses her daughter just as she did
II years ago. The girl dislikes going
to bed, and insists on remaining down
stairs till her parents retire for the
night when she is put in little cot
in their room
The parents cannot assign a rea-
son for the arrested development Of
their child, but 1t appears that two
sisters of one Of the child's grandma
| theirs failed to develop in the same
way. One died at the age Of 9, and
the other at 18. The girl enjoys the
best of health, and Is much more con-
tented than the ordinary child of five.
She will sit for hours at a stretch
nursing her doll. Everyone in the
hamlet has kindly word for her
when she Is driven out in her small
cart. She smiles back their greetings,
and. is usually very good tempered.
There are five members of the family,
one OF the sons being stalwart mem
ber of the Metropolitan police force.
Such cases, writes medical corre-
spondent, are. not common in this
country, but are we'll known medical
ly, being due to what is called "cre-
tinfsm," q condition in which the
thyroid gland Gin the lower part of
the neck) is affected. Sufferers usu-
ally have heavy, dull. sleepy express
sion and manner, the features being
coarse and thick. The mental def
cheney Is usually most remarked. The
condition is supposed to be due to the
absence Of an internal secretion" of
the thyroid gland (which has no duct
like most glands), and this secretion
is supposed to play an important part
in the general metabolism of the body,
though how or what 1t is. is not yet
known.
Very satisfactory results have en-
sued from the administration of an
extract of thyroid gland" from ami
mails. The stature Is increased rap
idly, the intelligence is improved, the
bodily functions become more normal,
and general Improvement is maintain
ed as long as the thyroid extract"
is taken. Degeneration, however, re-
suits II treatment is abandoned.
It is q curious fact that these cases
are noticed particularly to come from
certain districts, especially the Rhone
valley IN France, parts Of Derbyshife
Fin this country, and 10 on, and 1t is
suggested that some popularity In
the water has some connection with
n "a IA,