This strange and terrible disease has plagued humanity for ages. Young people age in a matter of days, and doctors simply can’t figure out what’s happening. Consequently, a cure is also impossible to find: a young, healthy body suddenly begins to die, fading away before the eyes of its despairing parents. Here are several cases that doctors from around the world are still trying to analyze, hoping to shed some light on this terrible problem.
Ancient times
The Middle Ages and earlier periods offer virtually no information about this terrible disease. In those days, death generally occurred quite early; such was the reality of life. However, it is known that as early as the 12th century, a certain Mary lived in Scotland. To the horror of her villagers, she rapidly aged and died at just 23. In Russia, a terrifying case dates back to the era of Ivan the Terrible: one of his boyars, 19-year-old Vasily Mikhailov, aged in just six months and died at the age of 20.
The Hungarian Curse
History hasn’t recorded any monarchs suffering from the same disease. Or rather, only one case has received widespread publicity: Ludwig II, King of Hungary, was known for his restless nature from childhood, and by the age of 11, he had already fathered a child with his concubine. Unfortunately, the king lived only to 18, and, judging by the scraps of information, he also aged in just a few months.
English Count
In 1716, the personal chronicler of the English Earl William Sheffield added a strange story to the family archives about his eldest son, Baronet Thomas Sheffield. The story goes that by the age of 12, Thomas had already taken part in several skirmishes with the Scots, much to the delight of his father. However, a year later, the baronet’s first gray hairs appeared, then he stopped walking, and died at 16, looking like a decrepit old man.
