anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第109部分

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　long　time　resided　in　the　forests　of　India。　A　copy；　now　a　rarity；　is　in　the　South　Kensington　Museum。

An　interesting　case　of　a　wolf…child　was　reported　many　years　ago　in　Chambers'　Journal。　In　the　Etwah　district；　near　the　banks　of　the　river　Jumna；　a　boy　was　captured　from　the　wolves。　After　a　time　this　child　was　restored　to　his　parents；　who；　however；　〃found　him　very　difficult　to　manage；　for　he　was　most　fractious　and　troublesomein　fact；　just　a　caged　wild　beast。　Often　during　the　night　for　hours　together　he　would　give　vent　to　most　unearthly　yells　and　moans；　destroying　the　rest　and　irritating　the　tempers　of　his　neighbors　and　generally　making　night　hideous。　On　one　occasion　his　people　chained　him　by　the　waist　to　a　tree　on　the　outskirts　of　the　village。　Then　a　rather　curious　incident　occurred。　It　was　a　bright　moonlight　night；　and　two　wolf　cubs　（undoubtedly　those　in　whose　companionship　he　had　been　captured）；　attracted　by　his　cries　while　on　the　prowl；　came　to　him；　and　were　distinctly　seen　to　gambol　around　him　with　as　much　familiarity　and　affection　as　if　they　considered　him　quite　one　of　themselves。　They　only　left　him　on　the　approach　of　morning；　when　movement　and　stir　again　arose　in　the　village。　This　boy　did　not　survive　long。　He　never　spoke；　nor　did　a　single　ray　of　human　intelligence　ever　shed　its　refining　light　over　his　debased　features。〃

Recently　a　writer　in　the　Badmington　Magazine；　in　speaking　of　the　authenticity　of　wolf…children；　says：

〃A　jemidar　told　me　that　when　he　was　a　lad　he　remembered　going；　with　others；　to　see　a　wolf…child　which　had　been　netted。　Some　time　after　this；　while　staying　at　an　up…country　place　called　Shaporeooundie；　in　East　Bengal；　it　was　my　fortune　to　meet　an　Anglo…Indian　gentleman　who　had　been　in　the　Indian　civil　service　for　upward　of　thirty　years；　and　had　traveled　about　during　most　of　that　time；　from　him　I　learned　all　I　wanted　to　know　of　wolf…children；　for　he　not　only　knew　of　several　cases；　but　had　actually　seen　and　examined；　near　Agra；　a　child　which　had　been　recovered　from　the　wolves。　The　story　of　Romulus　and　Remus；　which　all　schoolboys　and　the　vast　majority　of　grown　people　regard　as　a　myth；　appears　in　a　different　light　when　one　studies　the　question　of　wolf…children；　and　ascertains　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　boys　are　found　living　on　the　very　best　terms　with　such　treacherous　and　rapacious　animals　as　wolves；　sleeping　with　them　in　their　dens；　sharing　the　raw　flesh　of　deer　and　kids　which　the　she…wolf　provides；　and；　in　fact；　leading　in　all　essentials　the　actual　life　of　a　wolf。

〃A　young　she…wolf　has　a　litter　of　cubs；　and　after　a　time　her　instinct　tells　her　that　they　will　require　fresh　food。　She　steals　out　at　night　in　quest　of　prey。　Soon　she　espies　a　weak　place　in　the　fence　（generally　constructed　of　thatching　grass　and　bamboos）　which　encloses　the　compound；　or　'unguah；'　of　a　poor　villager。　She　enters；　doubtless；　in　the　hope　of　securing　a　kid；　and　while　prowling　about　inside　looks　into　a　hut　where　a　woman　and　infant　are　soundly　sleeping。　In　a　moment　she　has　pounced　on　the　child；　and　is　out　of　reach　before　its　cries　can　attract　the　villagers。　Arriving　safely　at　her　den　under　the　rocks；　she　drops　the　little　one　among　her　cubs。　At　this　critical　time　the　fate　of　the　child　hangs　in　the　balance。　Either　it　will　be　immediately　torn　to　pieces　and　devoured；　or　in　a　most　wonderful　way　remain　in　the　cave　unharmed。　In　the　event　of　escape；　the　fact　may　be　accounted　for　in　several　ways。　Perhaps　the　cubs　are　already　gorged　when　the　child　is　thrown　before　them；　or　are　being　supplied　with　solid　food　before　their　carnivorous　instinct　is　awakened；　so　they　amuse　themselves　by　simply　licking　the　sleek；　oily　body　（Hindoo　mothers　daily　rub　their　boy　babies　with　some　native　vegetable　oil）　of　the　infant；　and　thus　it　lies　in　the　nest；　by　degrees　getting　the　odor　of　the　wolf　cubs；　after　which　the　mother　wolf　will　not　molest　it。　In　a　little　time　the　infant　begins　to　feel　the　pangs　of　hunger；　and　hearing　the　cubs　sucking；　soon　follows　their　example。　Now　the　adoption　is　complete；　all　fear　of　harm　to　the　child　from　wolves　has　gone；　and　the　foster…mother　will　guard　and　protect　it　as　though　it　were　of　her　own　flesh　and　blood。

〃The　mode　of　progression　of　these　children　is　on　all　foursnot；　as　a　rule；　on　the　hands　and　feet；　but　on　the　knees　and　elbows。　The　reason　the　knees　are　used　is　to　be　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that；　owing　to　the　great　length　of　the　human　leg　and　thigh　in　proportion　to　the　length　of　the　arm；　the　knee　would　naturally　be　brought　to　the　ground；　and　the　instep　and　top　of　the　toes　would　be　used　instead　of　the　sole　and　heel　of　the　almost　inflexible　foot。　Why　the　elbow　should　be　employed　instead　of　the　hand　is　less　easy　to　understand；　but　probably　it　is　better　suited　to　give　support　to　the　head　and　fore…part　of　the　body。

〃Some　of　these　poor　waifs　have　been　recovered　after　spending　ten　or　more　years　in　the　fellowship　of　wolves；　and；　though　wild　and　savage　at　first；　have　in　time　become　tractable　in　some　degree。　They　are　rarely　seen　to　stand　upright；　unless　to　look　around；　and　they　gnaw　bones　in　the　manner　of　a　dog；　holding　one　end　between　the　forearms　and　hands；　while　snarling　and　snapping　at　everybody　who　approaches　too　near。　The　wolf…child　has　little　except　his　outward　form　to　show　that　it　is　a　human　being　with　a　soul。　It　is　a　fearful　and　terrible　thing；　and　hard　to　understand；　that　the　mere　fact　of　a　child's　complete　isolation　from　its　own　kind　should　bring　it　to　such　a　state　of　absolute　degradation。　Of　course；　they　speak　no　language；　though　some；　in　time；　have　learned　to　make　known　their　wants　by　signs。　When　first　taken　they　fear　the　approach　of　adults；　and；　if　possible；　will　slink　out　of　sight；　but　should　a　child　of　their　own　size；　or　smaller；　come　near；　they　will　growl；　and　even　snap　and　bite　at　it。　On　the　other　hand；　the　close　proximity　of　〃pariah〃　dogs　or　jackals　is　unresented；　in　some　cases　welcomed；　for　I　have　heard　of　them　sharing　their　food　with　these　animals；　and　even　petting　and　fondling　them。　They　have　in　time　been　brought　to　a　cooked…meat　diet；　but　would　always　prefer　raw　flesh。　Some　have　been　kept　alive　after　being　reclaimed　for　as　long　as　two　years；　but　for　some　reason　or　other　they　all　sicken　and　die；　generally　long　before　that　time。　One　would　think；　however；　that；　having　undoubtedly　robust　constitutions；　they　might　be　saved　if　treated　in　a　scientific　manner　and　properly　managed。〃

Rudyard　Kipling；　possibly　inspired　by　accounts　of　these　wolf…children　in　India；　has　ingeniously　constructed　an　interesting　series　of　fabulous　stories　of　a　child　who　was　brought　up　by　the　beasts　of　the　jungles　and　taught　their　habits　and　their　mode　of　communication。　The　ingenious　way　in　which　the　author　has　woven　the　facts　together　and　interspersed　them　with　his　intimate　knowledge　of　animal…life　commends　his　〃Jungle…Book〃　as　a　legitimate　source　of　recreation　to　the　scientific　observer。

Among　observers　mentioned　in　the　〃Index　Catalogue〃　who　have　studied　this　subject　are　Giglioli；　Mitra；　and　Ornstein。　

The　artificial　manufacture　of　〃wild　men〃　or　〃wild　boys〃　in　the　Chinese　Empire　is　shown　by　recent　reports。　Macgowan　says　the　traders　kidnap　a　boy　and　skin　him　alive　bit　by　bit；　transplanting　on　the　denuded　surfaces　the　hide　of　a　bear　or　dog。　This　process　is　most　tedious　and　is　by　no　means　complete　when　the　hide　is　completely　transplanted；　as　the　subject　must　be　rendered　mute　by　destruction　of　the　vocal　cords；　made　to　use　all　fours　in　walking；　and　submitted　to　such　degradation　as　to　completely　blight　all　reason。　It　is　said　that　the　process　is　so　severe　that　only　one　in　five　survive。　A　〃wild　boy〃　exhibited　in　Kiangse　had　the　entire　skin　of　a　dog　substituted　and　walked　on　all　fours。　It　was　found　that　he　had　been　kidnapped。　His　proprietor　was　decapitated　on　the　spot。　Macgowan　says　that　parasitic　monsters　are　manufactured　in　China　by　a　similar　process　of　transplantation。　He　adds　that　the　deprivation　of　light　for　several　years　renders　the　child　a　great　curiosity；　if　in　conjunction　its　growth　is　dwarfed　by　means　of　food　and　drugs；　and　its　vocal　apparatus　destroyed。　A　certain　priest　subjected　a　kidnapped　boy　to　this　treatment　and　exhibited　him　as　a　sacred　deity。　Macgowan　mentions　that　the　child　looked　like　wax；　as　though　continually　fed　on　lardaceous　substances。　He　squatted　with　his　palms　together　and　was　a　driveling　idiot。　The　monk　was　discovered　and　escaped；　but　his　temple　was　razed。

Equilibrists。Many　individuals　have　cultivated　their　senses　so　acutely　that　by　the　eye　and　particularly　by　touch　they　are　able　to　perform　almost　incredible　feats　of　maintaining　equilibrium　under　the　most　difficult　circumstances　Professional　rope…walkers　have　been　known　in　all　times。　The　Greeks　had　a　particular　passion　for　equilibrists；　and　called　them　〃neurobates；〃　〃oribates；〃　and　〃staenobates。〃　Blondin　would　have　been　one　of　the　latter。　Antique　medals　showing　equilibrists　making　the　ascent　of　an　inclined　cord　have　been　found。　The　Romans　had　walkers　both　of　the　slack…rope　and　tight…rope　Many　of　the　Fathers　of　the　Church　have　pronounced　against　the　dangers　of　these　exercises。　Among　others；　St。　John　Chrysostom　speaks　of　men　who　execute　movements　on　inclined　ropes　at　unheard…of　heights。　In　the　ruins　of　Herculaneum　there　is　still　visible　a　picture　representing　an　equilibrist　executing　several　different　exercises；　especially　one　in　which　he　dances　on　a　rope　to　the　tune　of　a　double　flute；　played　by　himself。　The　Romans　particularly　liked　to　witness　ascensions　on　inclined　ropes；　and　sometimes　these　were　attached　to　the　summits　of　high　hills；　and　while　mounting　them　the　acrobats　performed　different　pantomimes。　It　is　said　that　under　Charles　VI　a　Genoese　acrobat；　on　the　occasion　of　the　arrival　of　the　Queen　of　France；　carried　in　each　hand　an　illuminated　torch　while　descending　a　rope　stretched　from　the　summit　of　the　towers　of　Notre　Dame　to　a　house　on　the　Pont　au　Change。　According　to　Guyot…Daubes；　a　similar　performance　was　seen　in　London　in　1547。　In　this　instance　the　rope　was　attached　to　the　highest　pinnacle　of　St。　Paul's　Cathedral。　Under　Louis　XII　an　acrobat　named　Georges　Menustre；　during　a　passage　of　the　King　through　Macon；　executed　several　performances　on　a　rope　stretched　from　the　grand　tower　of　the　Chateau　and　the　clock　of　the　Jacobins；　at　a　height　of　156　feet。　A　similar　performance　was