Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-26
rY strange and cruel freak Of fate
r. Anna Held, gayest OF condolences,

1850
the rarest, most agonizing and deadly dis.
eases known to science.
This disease is called "multipel mye-
Iona. The second word is formed from
TWO Greek words meaning marrow" and
tumor.' while the multiple" refers to
It's tendency to attack many parts Of the
body. The disease consists in its first
stage, In the formation of tumors within
the bone marrow. which rapidly disinte.
CRATE the bone and then poison the whole
blood stream.
Only ffty-two cases OF multiple mye
iona have been recorded by medical
science. All Of them proved fatal Death
may occur at any time, but the disease
Is not remarkably rapid and its course fire.
quently runs for year. In one memor.
able case recorded by DR.. Kahler. who
made special study OF the disease the
patient lived from 1887 to 1897. Nothing
like that length of time has ever been
noted since. The patient in this instance
was a physician.
The cause Of mycloma has hitherto
been mystery like that OF cancer. In.
deed. II is akin to cancer in It's character
1t Is sometimes described as a form Of
sarcoma, that is to say, tumor consist
Ing largely OF giant cells. The scientific
theories concerning cancer generally
agree that it is disordered cell growth;
that it occurs at parts Of the body where
strain is greatest. and that 1t is Induced
by habits of life such as wearing OF tight
clothing, smoking. the use OF excessively
hot food and drink. etc.
What then was 1t that laid the seeds OF
multiple myeloma in Anna Held? Medical
scientists hope that some valuable new
light may be thrown on the mysterious
disease from this case. medicine has
made great advances since the last case
was studied. 1t ia reasonable to believe
that the immediate cause lies In some
habit OF daily life such as those already
suggested. combining with some natural
predisposition OF the organism Tight
clothing is one of the commonly assigned
causes OF cancer. and it is suggested in
medical circles that tight lacing OF corsets
was most probably the principal exciting
cause of poor little Anna Helds strange
affection
She was for many years quite famous
az the most tightly laced woman on the
stage. Her plump. attractive little figure,
laced in at the waist until the hips tutted
admired. No such concavity between
busts and hips was ever seen on woman
She had the "hourglass figure" I'm It's ex-
tremest form. In order to produce this
erect 1t was necessary 20 use great force
In lacing. Her waist is said to have been
squeezed down to circumference OF eigh.
teen inches
cHo" pathetic that the articles prac-
used by this gay little butterfly of stage
ire 10 attract the admiration of thought.
less men should later prove the cause of
agonizing suffering. For over twenty
years Anna Held practiscd daily and
nightly tight lacing. In addition she led
life or great excitement and nervous
strain and this would be an aggravatins
factor in cell growth disorder
Inc medical theory Is that the tight lac.
Ing congested the great blood vessels sit.
uated In the region OF the hips and poisoned
the blood stream in the lower part of the
body. This in turn exercised an injurious
reflex action OH the bone marrow, which Is
one OF the most important blood.making
organs OF the body, and finally helped to
produce myeloma
II is significant that later examination
proved that the pelvic bone was the most
deeply dlsordered by the disease in Anna
Held's case.
Anna Held was stricken with her illness
early last Winter. She had undoubtedly
been appearing on the stage months after
1t reached severe form. While she was
performing at Milwaukee last January she
broke down completely and her sufferings
became cruel
In myeloma the marrow of the bones
produces malignant cells OF giant size
which pass through the bone substance
into the blood and gradually choke. I'D the
stream OF life, causing inability to assimi.
late food physical powerlessness, and
finally death. The marrow Is known to he
the chief Matchmaking organ of the body.
producing most Of the red corpuscles and
some Of the white. which pass out into the
blood stream through minute channels IN
the bone.
The giant cells of myeloma take the
place to great extent of the red cor.
puscles. and without red corpuscles there
can be no living.
One Of the results Of the diffusion of the
malignant cells Is that the bones become
soft and spongy and break at the slightest
shock.
The disease spreads from one hone tn an.
otner by the process OF "metastasis" The
malignant cells are believed to he carried
by the blood, and in this way invade the
marrow OF unaffected bones
Anna Held showed all the most painful
symptoms Of the disease. Her bones
cracked at the least movement, her Joints
became loose, and she suffered the most
exquisite pain at the slightest Earring. She
was unable to bear the least pressure
without suffering unbearable torture Her
affection soon reached such a point that
1t was impossible for her to sit down
After that 1t became painful for her. even
to lie down. II was necessary to place her
on piles Of the softest down quilts
Recent examination has shown that her
bones must have been broken or cracked
in several places through accidental con.
tact, owing to their extreme brittleness,
-svxeSf IT,. L H.