Evening journal., 1917-12-22
This CHILD'S BODY
TURNING TO BONE
Little Wilmington Girl is
Victim of RareSt oil
Diseases
NO CHANCE FOR
HER, DOCTORS SAY

A girl. nine years old, 10 SLOWLY
turning 10 bone in the Jefferson Hos
pltsl. Philadelphia Unless a marvel OF
surgery is accomplished she has but
a few years TO live.
NE case is unique IN the annals OF
ihs institution, and is one Of the rarest
pstholoeical conditions known TO medi-
cal science. progressive myosits ossi-
ncans. Il is only the second case Of It's
kind that Dr. John Chalmers Ia Costa
who exhibited the child before a clinic
last Wednesday. has ever encountered.
ITS rarity may be Judged from the fact
that for generations the skeleton Of
man who had died from ossincation
was exhibited at Trinity College, Dub
lin. as on anatomical curiosity and
only in recent years was the presence
OF the bony plates which covered the
skeleton explained.
The disease is thought 20 be caused
by the improper functioning of the
parathyroids, which are small masses
of gland-like, opithelium, lying beneath
The thyroid glands of the neck 10 IS
The parathyroid glands which control
The supply Of lime salts or bone-huild-
ing elements TO the body and If these
glands are removed, death invariably
follows
The child who was the subject Of this
extraordinary clinic would appear to
the casual observer 20 be perfectly nor
NAL. but when the muscles Of the neck.
arms and back are felt, they arc rigid
and as hard as stone. st the time Of
birth u was noticed that the child's
thumbs and great toes were shorter
than those Of a normal infant but at
the time this was only regarded as a
deformitv. In view. however. Of the
present condition Of the patient, Doctor
ia Costa is inclined to feel that this
deformity indicated q predlsposition to
The disease
The disease attacks, progressively, all
voluntary muscles Of the body, and in
the case Of this child, who was taken
TO tho hospital from this city Doctor
pa Costa, told his clinic that she could
not possibly live beyond the age Of
twenty. by which time her body would
be completely ossined. The disease does
not affect the Involuntary muscles,
death resulting from inability TO cat or
move any portion OF the body.
Working on the theory that the pa
lient Is taking In more lime salts than
she Is giving out. thus causing this re-
markable tendency 90 bone building, it
Is assumed that the paralhyroid glands
which control this supply orc not func-
tioning properly.
To determine this fact the child has
been placed under the personal obser-
walton Of Professor W. w. Hawke, whG
will conduct a careful series Of analy
ses the patients digestive processes
and thus determine the exact assimila
tion and excretion Of lime salts
~ after long observation and eN
hausiiye tests, 10 Is decided that the
paTathyroids are not performing theh
duty, q most interesting experiment
viii be attempted IN hope of abortinl
The progress Of the ossi0cation. The
operation will consist Of transplantlnf
foreign glands The transplanting OF
glands has been successfully done In
other diseases. In the case In question
parathyroid glands Of an ANIMAL prob
ably a dog, will be used
This case and Us history have al.
iracted widespread interest In the medi
cal fraternity. Eminent surgeons sa,
that there are few men IN the United
states who have encountered case o
progressive myolitls ossiilcans