South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-11

reality, "the big push to use the
language of the day. and seemed 70
have an astonishing power over the
development of the human being.
In fact, il has been in no way an
extraordinary thing to feed" dwarfs
or very understood people, upon the
thyroid glands Of common, ordinary
sheep, in order to make them grow,
and hat il will do so within limits
is almost a certainty.
However, it is most unusual to
hear of n serious attempt TO
check excessive growth, all the more
so when it takes the form of. cut
ting sections out of the femur or
upper leg bone of the patient, and
the results of this attempt will be
watched with the greatest interest.
This experiment is being tried out
i'm Chicago, where a young woman
25 years of age, having reached the
/ height of seven feet six inches,
which is pretty close TO the human
altitude record" resolved to make
this extraordinary attempt to check
her excessive and constantly in
creasing growth. The operation has
been performed, but it is rather too
early yet to know whether il has
been successful or not.
Whoever decided upon this course
Of action, doubtless had in mind one
very curious feature Of practically
all the long bones Of the body,
which is, that they are always cap
able of growing longer up to a GER
tain age, until the fuI growth has
/ been obtained. While the central
section of the bones have complete
ly hardened, there is always a sec
ton at each end. just behind the
joint. which is composed of cartilage
or growing bone tissue, which is
ready To lengthen and grow at a mo-
ment's notice. fguratively speaking,
up 10 a certain age.
1t is generally supposed that if
this section is removed. the harder
part of the bone and the joint will
come together. as they would in case
of an ordinary fracture. but that the
bone would be incapable of further
] 81 Wv h HE llno OEGA
simply theory. since it is naturally
about once lin a blue moon" that
there is any reason for testing il.
though this is by no means saying
that it can't be done.
There are two other rather un-
usual conditions about this case:
irst the patients parents are said
to be understood; secondly. that the
patient herself is said not TO be af-
flicted with the malformations of
the jaw, hands or feet which are
usually present in giantism. The
parents Of another famous giantess
Of the last generation, Ella Ewing.
we're of only average height. and in
few cases Of giantism nave the par
ents been Of an unusual stature.
which seems TO prove that gaints
like all other peculiar and unusual
phenomena Of nature. appear inter
mittently and er~raticaIly. about ev-
cry so often. without any fixed re-
lation to ancestry or family connec-
tons.
The malformations in the sense
Of overgrowth Of the jaw. hands or
the feet, with which giants are also
usually afflicted are called aero
megaly," and are caused by the
same peculiar overgrowth Of the
pituitary gland which gives them
their unusual height However, it
is possible for Z giant 10 escape
acromegaly. and il is equally pos
sible for a person OF normal height
20 acquire the distressing over
growth and consequent misshaping
OF jaw. hands or feet by this self
same o%vergrowth Of the pituitary
gland.
The difference Is that. in the cas-
Of an individual OF normal height.
this O~vergrowth begins after he has
/ attained his full stature. so vents
! itself mostly on his hands. feet and
| jaw. whereas. in the case of a giant.
IL begins before he gains his full
( height. so thai part Of its over
growing energy goes into his whole
I frame, thus making him a giant. al
though there is generally enough
left 20 give him a complete case OF
! acro.negaly in the bargain.