anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第115部分

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　show　the　beautiful　muscular　development　of　this　remarkable　man。

Joseph　Pospischilli；　a　convict　recently　imprisoned　in　the　Austrian　fortress　of　Olen；　surprised　the　whole　Empire　by　his　wonderful　feats　of　strength。　One　of　his　tricks　was　to　add　a　fifth　leg　to　a　common　table　（placing　the　useless　addition　in　the　exact　center）　and　then　balance　it　with　his　teeth　while　two　full…grown　gipsies　danced　on　it；　the　music　being　furnished　by　a　violinist　seated　in　the　middle　of　the　well…balanced　platform。　One　day　when　the　prison　in　which　this　Hercules　was　confined　was　undergoing　repairs；　he　picked　up　a　large　carpenter's　bench　with　his　teeth　and　held　it　balanced　aloft　for　nearly　a　minute。　Since　being　released　from　the　Olen　prison；　Pospischilli　and　his　cousin；　another　local　〃strong　man〃　named　Martenstine；　have　formed　a　combination　and　are　now　starring　Southern　Europe；　performing　all　kinds　of　startling　feats　of　strength。　Among　other　things　they　have　had　a　30…foot　bridge　made　of　strong　timbers；　which　is　used　in　one　of　their　great　muscle　acts。　This　bridge　has　two　living　piersPospischilli　acting　as　one　and　Martenstine　the　other。　Besides　supporting　this　monstrous　structure　（weight；　1866　pounds）　upon　their　shoulders；　these　freaks　of　superhuman　strength　allow　a　team　of　horses　and　a　wagon　loaded　with　a　ton　of　cobble…stones　to　be　driven　across　it。

It　is　said　that　Selig　Whitman；　known　as　〃Ajax；〃　a　New　York　policeman；　has　lifted　2000　pounds　with　his　hands　and　has　maintained　450　pounds　with　his　teeth。　This　man　is　five　feet　8　1/2　inches　tall　and　weighs　162　pounds。　His　chest　measurement　is　40　inches；　the　biceps　17　inches；　that　of　his　neck　16　1/2　inches；　the　forearm　11；　the　wrist　9　1/2；　the　thigh　23；　and　the　calf　17。

One　of　the　strongest　of　the　〃strong　women〃　is　Madame　Elise；　a　Frenchwoman；　who　performs　with　her　husband。　Her　greatest　feat　is　the　lifting　of　eight　men　weighing　altogether　about　1700　pounds。　At　her　performances　she　supports　across　her　shoulders　a　700…pound　dumb…bell；　on　each　side　of　which　a　person　is　suspended。

Miss　Darnett；　the　〃singing　strong　lady；〃　extends　herself　upon　her　hands　and　feet；　face　uppermost；　while　a　stout　platform；　with　a　semicircular　groove　for　her　neck；　is　fixed　upon　her　chest；　abdomen；　and　thighs　by　means　of　a　waist…belt　which　passes　through　brass　receivers　on　the　under　side　of　the　board。　An　ordinary　upright　piano　is　then　placed　on　the　platform　by　four　men；　a　performer　mounts　the　platform　and　plays　while　the　〃strong　lady〃　sings　a　love　song　while　supporting　possibly　half　a　ton。

Strength　of　the　Jaws。There　are　some　persons　who　exhibit　extraordinary　power　of　the　jaw。　In　the　curious　experiments　of　Regnard　and　Blanchard　at　the　Sorbonne；　it　was　found　that　a　crocodile　weighing　about　120　pounds　exerted　a　force　between　its　jaws　at　a　point　corresponding　to　the　insertion　of　the　masseter　muscles　of　1540　pounds；　a　dog　of　44　pounds　exerted　a　similar　force　of　363　pounds。

It　is　quite　possible　that　in　animals　like　the　tiger　and　lion　the　force　would　equal　1700　or　1800　pounds。　The　anthropoid　apes　can　easily　break　a　cocoanut　with　their　teeth；　and　Guyot…Daubes　thinks　that　possibly　a　gorilla　has　a　jaw…force　of　200　pounds。　A　human　adult　is　said　to　exert　a　force　of　from　45　to　65　pounds　between　his　teeth；　and　some　individuals　exceed　this　average　as　much　as　100　pounds。　In　Buffon's　experiments　he　once　found　a　Frenchman　who　could　exert　a　force　of　534　pounds　with　his　jaws。

In　several　American　circuses　there　have　been　seen　women　who　hold　themselves　by　a　strap　between　their　teeth　while　they　are　being　hauled　up　to　a　trapeze　some　distance　from　the　ground。　A　young　mulatto　girl　by　the　name　of　〃Miss　Kerra〃　exhibited　in　the　Winter　Circus　in　Paris；　suspended　from　a　trapeze；　she　supported　a　man　at　the　end　of　a　strap　held　between　her　teeth；　and　even　permitted　herself　to　be　turned　round　and　round。

She　also　held　a　cannon　in　her　teeth　while　it　was　fired。　This　feat　has　been　done　by　several　others。　According　to　Guyot…Daubes；　at　Epernay　in　1882；　while　a　man　named　Bucholtz；　called　〃the　human　cannon；〃　was　performing　this　feat；　the　cannon；　which　was　over　a　yard　long　and　weighed　nearly　200　pounds；　burst　and　wounded　several　of　the　spectators。

There　was　another　Hercules　in　Paris；　who　with　his　teeth　lifted　and　held　a　heavy　cask　of　water　on　which　was　seated　a　man　and　varying　weights；　according　to　the　size　of　his　audience；　at　the　same　time　keeping　his　hands　occupied　with　other　weights。　Figure　185　represents　a　well…known　modern　exhibitionist　lifting　with　his　teeth　a　cask　on　which　are　seated　four　men。　The　celebrated　Mlle。　Gauthier；　an　actress　of　the　Comedie…Francais；　had　marvelous　power　of　her　hands；　bending　coins；　rolling　up　silver　plate；　and　performing　divers　other　feats。　Major　Barsaba　had　enormous　powers　of　hand　and　fingers。　He　could　roll　a　silver　plate　into　the　shape　of　a　goblet。　Being　challenged　by　a　Gascon；　he　seized　the　hand　of　his　unsuspecting　adversary　in　the　ordinary　manner　of　salutation　and　crushed　all　the　bones　of　the　fingers；　thus　rendering　unnecessary　any　further　trial　of　strength。

It　is　said　that　Marshal　Saxe　once　visited　a　blacksmith　ostensibly　to　have　his　horse　shod；　and　seeing　no　shoe　ready　he　took　a　bar　of　iron；　and　with　his　hands　fashioned　it　into　a　horseshoe。　There　are　Japanese　dentists　who　extract　teeth　with　their　wonderfully　developed　fingers。　There　are　stories　of　a　man　living　in　the　village　of　Cantal　who　received　the　sobriquet　of　〃La　Coupia〃　（The　Brutal）。　He　would　exercise　his　function　as　a　butcher　by　strangling　with　his　fingers　the　calves　and　sheep；　instead　of　killing　them　in　the　ordinary　manner。　It　is　said　that　one　day；　by　placing　his　hands　on　the　shoulders　of　the　strong　man　of　a　local　fair；　he　made　him　faint　by　the　pressure　exerted　by　his　fingers。

Manual　strangulation　is　a　well…known　crime　and　is　quite　popular　in　some　countries。　The　Thugs　of　India　sometimes　murdered　their　victims　in　this　way。　Often　such　force　is　exerted　by　the　murderer's　fingers　as　to　completely　fracture　the　cricoid　cartilage。

In　viewing　the　feats　of　strength　of　the　exhibitionist　we　must　bear　in　consideration　the　numerous　frauds　perpetrated。　A　man　of　extraordinary　strength　sometimes　finds　peculiar　stone；　so　stratified　that　he　is　able　to　break　it　with　the　force　he　can　exert　by　a　blow　from　the　hand　alone；　although　a　man　of　ordinary　strength　would　try　in　vain。　In　most　of　these　instances；　if　one　were　to　take　a　piece　of　the　exhibitionist's　stone；　he　would　find　that　a　slight　tap　of　the　hammer　would　break　it。　Again；　there　are　many　instances　in　which　the　stone　has　been　found　already　separated　and　fixed　quite　firmly　together；　placing　it　out　of　the　power　of　an　ordinary　man　to　break；　but　which　the　exhibitionist　finds　within　his　ability。　This　has　been　the　solution　of　the　feats　of　many　of　the　individuals　who　invite　persons　to　send　them　marked　stones　to　use　at　their　performances。　By　skilfully　arranging　stout　twine　on　the　hands；　it　is　surprising　how　easily　it　is　broken；　and　there　are　many　devices　and　tricks　to　deceive　the　public；　all　of　which　are　more　or　less　used　by　〃strong　men。〃

The　recent　officially　recorded　feats　of　strength　that　stand　unequaled　in　the　last　decade　are　as　follows：

Weight…lifting。Hands　alone　1571　1/4　pounds；　done　by　C。　G。　Jefferson；　an　amateur；　at　Clinton；　Mass　December　10；　1890；　with　harness；　3239　pounds；　by　W　B。　Curtis；　at　New　York　December　20　1868；　Louis　Cyr；　at　Berthierville；　Can。；　October　1；　1888；　pushed　up　3536　pounds　of　pig…iron　with　his　back；　arms；　and　legs。

Dumb…bells。H。　Pennock；　in　New　York；　1870；　put　up　a　10…pound　dumb…bell　8431　times　in　four　hours　thirty…four　minutes；　by　using　both　hands　to　raise　it　to　the　shoulder；　and　then　using　one　hand　alone；　R。　A。　Pennell；　in　New　York；　January　31；　1874；　managed　to　put　up　a　bell　weighing　201　pounds　5　ounces；　and　Eugene　Sandow；　at　London；　February　11；　1891；　surpassed　this　feat　with　a　250…pound　bell。

Throwing　16…pound　hammer。J。　S。　Mitchell；　at　Travers　Island；　N。　Y。；　October　8；　1892；　made　a　record…throw　of　145　feet　3/4　inch。

Putting　16…pound　Shot。George　R。　Gray；　at　Chicago；　September　16；　1893；　made　the　record　of　47　feet。

Throwing　50…pound　Weight。J。　S。　Mitchell；　at　New　York；　September　22；　1894；　made　the　distance　record　of　35　feet　10　inches；　and　at　Chicago；　September　16；　1893；　made　the　height　record　of　15　feet　4　1/2　inches。

The　class　of　people　commonly　known　as　contortionists　by　the　laxity　of　their　muscles　and　ligaments　are　able　to　dislocate　or　preternaturally　bend　their　joints。　In　entertainments　of　an　arena　type　and　even　in　what　are　now　called　〃variety　performances〃　are　to　be　seen　individuals　of　this　class。　These　persons　can　completely　straddle　two　chairs；　and　do　what　they　call　〃the　split；〃　they　can　place　their　foot　about　their　neck　while　maintaining　the　upright　position；　they　can　bend　almost　double　at　the　waist　in　such　a　manner　that　the　back　of　the　head　will　touch　the　calves；　while　the　legs　are　perpendicular　with　the　ground；　they　can　bring　the　popliteal　region　over　their　shoulders　and　in　this　position　walk　on　their　hands；　they　can　put　themselves　in　a　narrow　barrel；　eat　with　a　fork　attached　to　a　heel　while　standing　on　their　hands；　and　perform　divers　other　remarkable　and　almost　incredible　feats。　Their　performances　are　genuine；　and　they　are　real　physiologic　curiosities。　Plate　6　represents　two　well…known　contortionists　in　their　favorite　feats。

Wentworth；　the　oldest　living　contortionist；　is　about　seventy　years　of　age；　but　seems　to　have　lost　none　of　his　earlier　sinuosity。　His　chief　feat　is　to　stow　himself　away　in　a　box　23　X　29　X　16　inches。　When　inside；　six　dozen　wooden　bottles　of　the　same　size　and　shape　as　those　which　ordinarily　contain　English　soda　water　are　carefully　stowed　away；　packed　in　with　him；　and　the　lid　slammed　down。　He　bestows　upon　this　act　the　curious　and　suggestive　name　of　〃Packanatomicalization。〃

Another　class　of　individuals　are　those　who　can　either　partially　or　completely　dislocate　the　major　articulations　of　the　body。　Many　persons　exhibit　this　capacity　in　their　fingers。　Persons　vulgarly　called　〃double　jointed〃　are　quite　common。

Charles　Warren；　an　American　contortionist；　has　been　examined　by　several　medical　men　of　prominence　and　descriptions　of　him　have　appeared　from　time　to　time　in　prominent　medical　journals。　When　he　was　but　a　child　he　was　constantly　tumbling　down；　due　to　the　heads　of