Medical Journal Oddities: Snake Man 1881

UPDATE: Rachel aka Oupelai did some searching and it turns out this is indeed a known condition. Medical journal article here.

I read a lot of 19th century medical journals. This has mostly to do with the fact that a lot of the sequel to The Gilded Hour takes place in medical settings, and I put a great premium on getting the details right. 

Every once in a while I come across something truly surprising that I end up taking to a doctor I know to see if they can shed any light on what seems too odd to believe. Here’s the latest:

A Deciduous Man—At a recent meeting of the Chicago Medical Society Dr. J. Frank reported a case where a man every July shed his skin. He was taken with feverish tremors, increasing almost to paroxysms. He undressed, lay down, and within a few minutes the skin of the chest began to turn red. The redness rapidly extended over the entire skin, and the feverish tremors continued uninterrupted for about twelve hours. Then he arose, dressed, and walked about in perfect health. The skin now commenced to peel, and ten hours later it began to come off in great patches. From the arms and legs it could be pulled ofi exactly like gloves or stockings.

As the old skin came away a new epidermis, as soft and pink as a baby’s, was revealed. This new skin was very sensitive; the patient had to wear softened gloves and moccasins for about a week. After the old cuticle had been entirely removed, the finger and toe nails began to drop off—new nails literally crowding them out. Finally the change was complete—the man had a new skin and a new outfit of nails, and was ready to return to the mines.

The shedding began in his first year and recurred every July thereafter.

It’s the nail part that really gets to me for some reason. If I get any interesting notes from a physician that explains this, I’ll let you know.