Fecal matter was accumulating in his bowels, but J.W. had no way to relieve his chronic constipation (via the Mütter Museum). When he visited doctors, they told him that he didn't have a tumor. But, surgeries in the 1800s were still considered too risky for the young patient.
J.W. joined a dime museum in his early '20s. The museum called him the "Balloon Man" and "Wind Bag," and let people view J.W.'s distended abdomen. Unfortunately for J.W., being unable to move his bowels caused quite the buildup in his guts, according to MDLinx. His colon was filled with many extra pounds of excrement that had accumulated.
If J.W. had been born today, he probably would have had a much easier life. His condition was considered untreatable at the time, per the Mütter Museum. About 1 in every 5,000 to 8,000 babies born will have Hirschsprung's disease, but today, doctors know the signs to look for. The disease can be present from birth, and if a baby shows signs of a distended stomach or chronic constipation from birth, doctors can begin a treatment plan, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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