Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-17
[|[PHAN||AS|% KILLS
COUNCIL BLUFFS WOMAN AZ
FLlcTEo WITH STRANGE
MALADY is DEAD.
Ill SIXTEEN YEARS,
DISEASE RAFFLED PHYSICIANS
Mrs. Mary E. Mallory Aware For Some
Time That Case Was Hopeless
Travelled Long and Far in Hope of
Securing Relief-object of Interest
Among Medical Men.

i'~>As'i ~ 4 IillGS-1l6QuDlCdn
council Bluffs, Dec. 17.-Mrs. Mary
II. Mallory. for sixteen years afflicted
With that rare disease known as ele-
phantiasis. died at her home in this
city yesterday. Here was one of a very
cases of similar character known in
this country. Because of the unusual
character of the disease Mrs. Mallory
mas been an object of great interest
among medical men and in September
lsoS. at her own suggestion, she sub
mitted to an examination by the doc
tors in attendance here upon the meet
ing OF the Missouri Valley Medical As
soclatlon, held III this city. in the hope
that by so doing she might aid science
III the study of the disease and pos
sibly be the means of helping some
sufferer from the disease. which. thus
far. has baffled the skill of physicians.
Ordinarily Mrs. Mallory was averse to
public notice or notoriety.
The insidious character of the dis
ease is illustrated in Mrs Mallory's
case. -Altho first afflicted with it six
teen years gao she did not discover
the true nature of the ailment until
about four years ago, when she Visited
physicians in Denver. In the meantime
she had travelled from one end of the
country to the other in hope of relief,
but all the PHYSICIANS consulted by her
We're unable to help her, altho none of
them discovered the true character of
her disease.
Accepted Fate Philosophically.
When she found that her case was
hopeless and that she was doomed to
a life of suffering with death con-
stantly staring her in the face, she ac-
cepted her fate with philosophical bear
ing. In an interview some months ago
she said she had learned to
rely on the promise. My
grace shall be sufficient for
thee Mrs. Mallory had been an ac-
tive church worker since girlhood and
continued in church work until COM
PEELED about q year and a half ago to
give it up on account of her condi-
ton, physically.
Eiephantiasis is characterized by
enormous swelling, usually of the low
er limbs. While the skin assumes pc
cnliar leathery appearance, from which
the disease takes its name. Other parts
of the body are somewhat affected
Authorities attribute the origin of the
disease to a small animal organism
which, in it's adult state, affects the
Emphatic glands or vessels, particu-
larly in the groin, obstructing the flow
Eof lymph and causing swelling of the
limbs, thiekening and discoloration oil
the skin, accompanied by profuse exu-
dation of lymph thru the skin. During
most of its stages the disease is ac-
companied by much suffering, altho al
times there is little pain. Until recently
Mrsr. Mallory was able to get about
the house with the aid of a cane ano
before that was able to go about con-
siderable, altho With difficulty.
An incident of her illness was Mrs
Mallory's close friendship with Mrs
Annie E. Lynch of Mckeesport, Pa, an
other victim of the disease, who dice
in July, 1908. The two women never
saw each other but for a number o.
years carried on a correspondence ant
exchange of newspaper clippings. Then
acquaintance began thru Mrs Mallor,
reading a newspaper account of Mrs
Lynch's case. The body of Mrs. Mallor,
was sent to Athens, Pa, for burial, tina
being her girlhood home.