anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第76部分

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although　the　spring　had　ceased　to　flow。　Beigel；　in　Virchow's　Archives；　mentions　a　cryptorchid　of　twenty…two　who　had　nocturnal　emissions　containing　spermatozoa　and　who　indulged　in　sexual　congress。　Partridge　describes　a　man　of　twenty…four　who；　notwithstanding　his　condition；　gave　evidences　of　virile　seminal　flow。

In　some　cases　there　is　anomalous　position　of　the　testicle。　Hough　mentions　an　instance　in　which；　from　the　great　pain　and　sudden　appearance；　a　small　tumor　lying　against　the　right　pubic　bone　was　supposed　to　be　a　strangulated　hernia。　There　were　two　well…developed　testicles　in　the　scrotum；　and　the　hernia　proved　to　be　a　third。　McElmail　describes　a　soldier　of　twenty…nine；　who　two　or　three　months　before　examination　felt　a　pricking　and　slight　burning　pain　near　the　internal　aperture　of　the　internal　inguinal　canal；　succeeded　by　a　swelling　until　the　tumor　passed　into　the　scrotum。　It　was　found　in　the　upper　part　of　the　scrotum　above　the　original　testicle；　but　not　in　contact；　and　was　about　half　the　size　of　the　normal　testicle；　its　cord　and　epididymis　could　be　distinctly　felt　and　caused　the　same　sensation　as　pressure　on　the　other　testicle　did。

Marshall　mentions　a　boy　of　sixteen　in　whom　the　right　half　of　the　scrotum　was　empty；　although　the　left　was　of　normal　size　and　contained　a　testicle。　On　close　examination　another　testicle　was　found　in　the　perineum；　the　boy　said　that　while　running　he　fell　down；　four　years　before；　and　on　getting　up　suffered　great　pain　in　the　groin。　and　this　pain　recurred　after　exertion。　This　testicle　was　removed　successfully　to　the　scrotum。　Horsley　collected　20　instances　of　operators　who　made　a　similar　attempt；　Annandale　being　the　first　one；　his　success　was　likely　due　to　antisepsis；　as　previously　the　testicles　had　always　sloughed。　There　is　a　record　of　a　dog　remarkable　for　its　salacity　who　had　two　testicles　in　the　scrotum　and　one　in　the　abdomen；　some　of　the　older　authors　often　indulged　in　playful　humor　on　this　subject。

Brown　describes　a　child　with　a　swelling　in　the　perineum　both　painful　and　elastic　to　the　touch。　The　child　cried　if　pressure　was　applied　to　the　tumor　and　there　was　every　evidence　that　the　tumor　was　a　testicle。　Hutcheson；　quoted　by　Russell；　has　given　a　curious　case　in　an　English　seaman　who；　as　was　the　custom　at　that　time；　was　impressed　into　service　by　H。M。S。　Druid　in　1807　from　a　trading　ship　off　the　coast　of　Africa。　The　man　said　he　had　been　examined　by　dozens　of　ship…surgeons；　but　was　invariably　rejected　on　account　of　rupture　in　both　groins。　The　scrotum　was　found　to　be　an　empty　bag；　and　close　examination　showed　that　the　testicles　occupied　the　seats　of　the　supposed　rupture。　As　soon　as　the　discovery　was　made　the　man　became　unnerved　and　agitated；　and　on　re…examining　the　parts　the　testicles　were　found　in　the　scrotum。　When　he　found　that　there　was　no　chance　for　escape　he　acknowledged　that　he　was　an　impostor　and　gave　an　exhibition　in　which；　with　incredible　facility；　he　pulled　both　testes　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　scrotum　to　the　external　abdominal　ring。　At　the　word　of　command　he　could　pull　up　one　testicle；　then　another；　and　let　them　drop　simultaneously；　he　performed　other　like　feats　so　rapidly　that　the　movements　could　not　be　distinguished。

In　this　connection　Russell　speaks　of　a　man　whose　testicle　was　elevated　every　time　the　east　wind　blew；　which　caused　him　a　sense　of　languor　and　relaxation；　the　same　author　describes　a　man　whose　testicles　ascended　into　the　inguinal　canal　every　time　he　was　in　the　company　of　women。

Inversion　of　the　testicle　is　of　several　varieties　and　quite　rare；　it　has　been　recognized　by　Sir　Astley　Cooper；　Boyer；　Maisonneuve；　Royet；　and　other　writers。

The　anomalies　of　the　vas　deferens　and　seminal　vesicles　are　of　little　interest　and　will　be　passed　with　mention　of　the　case　of　Weber；　who　found　the　seminal　vesicles　double；　a　similar　conformation　has　been　seen　in　hermaphrodites。



CHAPTER　VII。　

ANOMALIES　OF　STATURE；　SIZE；　AND　DEVELOPMENT。

Giants。The　fables　of　mythology　contain　accounts　of　horrible　monsters；　terrible　in　ferocity；　whose　mission　was　the　destruction　of　the　life　of　the　individuals　unfortunate　enough　to　come　into　their　domains。　The　ogres　known　as　the　Cyclops；　and　the　fierce　anthropophages；　called　Lestrygons；　of　Sicily；　who　were　neighbors　of　the　Cyclops；　are　pictured　in　detail　in　the　〃Odyssey〃　of　Homer。　Nearly　all　the　nations　of　the　earth　have　their　fairy　tales　or　superstitions　of　monstrous　beings　inhabiting　some　forest；　mountain；　or　cave；　and　pages　have　been　written　in　the　heroic　poems　of　all　languages　describing　battles　between　these　monsters　and　men　with　superhuman　courage；　in　which　the　giant　finally　succumbs。

The　word　giant　is　derived　indirectly　from　the　old　English　word　〃geant；〃　which　in　its　turn　came　from　the　French　of　the　conquering　Normans。　It　is　of　Greek　derivation；　〃gigas〃；　or　the　Latin；　〃gigas。〃　The　Hebrew　parallel　is　〃nophel；〃　or　plural；　〃nephilim。〃

Ancient　Giants。We　are　told　in　the　Bible　a　that　the　bedstead　of　Og；　King　of　Basham；　was　9　cubits　long；　which　in　English　measure　is　16　1/2　feet。　Goliath　of　Gath；　who　was　slain　by　David；　stood　6　cubits　and　a　span　tallabout　11　feet。　The　body　of　Orestes；　according　to　the　Greeks；　was　11　1/2　feet　long。　The　mythical　Titans；　45　in　number；　were　a　race　of　Giants　who　warred　against　the　Gods；　and　their　descendants　were　the　Gigantes。　The　height　attributed　to　these　creatures　was　fabulous；　and　they　were　supposed　to　heap　up　mountains　to　scale　the　sky　and　to　help　them　to　wage　their　battles。　Hercules；　a　man　of　incredible　strength；　but　who　is　said　to　have　been　not　over　7　feet　high；　was　dispatched　against　the　Gigantes。

Pliny　describes　Gabbaras；　who　was　brought　to　Rome　by　Claudius　Caesar　from　Arabia　and　was　between　9　and　10　feet　in　height；　and　adds　that　the　remains　of　Posio　and　Secundilla；　found　in　the　reign　of　Augustus　Caesar　in　the　Sallustian　Gardens；　of　which　they　were　supposed　to　be　the　guardians；　measured　10　feet　3　inches　each。　In　common　with　Augustine；　Pliny　believed　that　the　stature　of　man　has　degenerated；　but　from　the　remains　of　the　ancients　so　far　discovered　it　would　appear　that　the　modern　stature　is　about　the　same　as　the　ancient。　The　beautiful　alabaster　sarcophagus　discovered　near　Thebes　in　1817　and　now　in　Sir　John　Soane's　Museum　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields　in　London　measures　9　feet　4　inches　long。　This　unique　example；　the　finest　extant；　is　well　worth　inspection　by　visitors　in　London。

Herodotus　says　the　shoes　of　Perseus　measured　an　equivalent　of　about　3　feet；　English　standard。　Josephus　tells　of　Eleazar；　a　Jew；　among　the　hostages　sent　by　the　King　of　Persia　to　Rome；　who　was　nearly　11　feet　high。　Saxo；　the　grammarian；　mentions　a　giant　13　1/2　feet　high　and　says　he　had　12　companions　who　were　double　his　height。　Ferragus；　the　monster　supposed　to　have　been　slain　by　Roland；　the　nephew　of　Charlemagne；　was　said　to　have　been　nearly　11　feet　high。　It　was　said　that　there　was　a　giant　living　in　the　twelfth　century　under　the　rule　of　King　Eugene　II　of　Scotland　who　was　11　1/2　feet　high。

There　are　fabulous　stories　told　of　the　Emperor　Maximilian。　Some　accounts　say　that　he　was　between　8　1/2　and　9　feet　high；　and　used　his　wife's　bracelet　for　a　finger…ring；　and　that　he　ate　40　pounds　of　flesh　a　day　and　drank　six　gallons　of　wine。　He　was　also　accredited　with　being　a　great　runner；　and　in　his　earlier　days　was　said　to　have　conquered　single…handed　eight　soldiers。　The　Emperors　Charlemagne　and　Jovianus　were　also　accredited　with　great　height　and　strength。

In　the　olden　times　there　were　extraordinary　stories　of　the　giants　who　lived　in　Patagonia。　Some　say　that　Magellan　gave　the　name　to　this　country　because　its　inhabitants　measured　5　cubits。　The　naturalist　Turner　says　that　on　the　river　Plata　near　the　Brazilian　coast　he　saw　naked　savages　12　feet　high；　and　in　his　description　of　America；　Thevenot　confirms　this　by　saying　that　on　the　coast　of　Africa　he　saw　on　a　boat　the　skeleton　of　an　American　giant　who　had　died　in　1559；　and　who　was　11　feet　5　inches　in　height。　He　claims　to　have　measured　the　bones　himself。　He　says　that　the　bones　of　the　leg　measured　3　feet　4　inches；　and　the　skull　was　3　feet　and　1　inch；　just　about　the　size　of　the　skull　of　Borghini；　who；　however；　was　only　of　ordinary　height。　In　his　account　of　a　voyage　to　the　Straits　of　Magellan；　Jacob　Lemaire　says　that　on　December　17；　1615；　he　found　at　Port　Desire　several　graves　covered　with　stones；　and　beneath　the　stones　were　skeletons　of　men　which　measured　between　10　and　11　feet。　The　ancient　idea　of　the　Spaniards　was　that　the　men　of　Patagonia　were　so　tall　that　the　Spanish　soldiers　could　pass　under　their　arms　held　out　straight；　yet　we　know　that　the　Patagonians　exhibit　no　exaggeration　of　heightin　fact；　some　of　the　inhabitants　about　Terra　del　Fuego　are　rather　diminutive。　This　superstition　of　the　voyagers　was　not　limited　to　America；　there　were　accounts　of　men　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Peak　of　Teneriffe　who　had　80　teeth　in　their　head　and　bodies　15　feet　in　height。

Discoveries　of　〃Giants'　Bones。〃Riolan；　the　celebrated　anatomist；　says　that　there　was　to　be　seen　at　one　time　in　the　suburbs　of　Saint　Germain　the　tomb　of　the　giant　Isoret；　who　was　reputed　to　be　20　feet　tall；　and　that　in　1509；　in　digging　ditches　at　Rouen；　near　the　Dominicans；　they　found　a　stone　tomb　containing　a　monstrous　skeleton；　the　skull　of　which　would　hold　a　bushel　of　corn；　the　shin…bone　measured　about　4　feet；　which；　taken　as　a　guide；　would　make　his　height　over　17　feet。　On　the　tomb　was　a　copper　plate　which　said　that　the　tomb　contained　the　remains　of　〃the　noble　and　puissant　lord；　the　Chevalier　Ricon　de　Vallemont。〃　Plater；　the　famous　physician；　declares　that　he　saw　at　Lucerne　the　true　human　bones　of　a　subject　that　must　have　been　at　least　19　feet　high。

Valence　in　Dauphine　boasted　of　possessing　the　bones　of　the　giant　Bucart；　the　tyrant　of　the　Vivarias；　who　was　slain　by　his　vassal；　Count　de　Cabillon。　The　Dominicans　had　the　shin…bone　and　part　of　the　knee…articulation；　which；　substantiated　by　the　frescoes　and　inscriptions　in　their　possession；　showed　him　to　be　22　1/2　feet　high。　They　claimed　to　have　an　os　frontis　in　the　medical　school　of　Leyden　measuring　9。1　X　12。2　X　。5　inches；　which　they　deduce　must　have　belonged　to　a　man　11　or　12　feet　high。

It　is　said　that　while　digging　in　France　in　1613　there　was　disinterred　the　body　of　a　giant　bearing　the　title　〃Theutobochus　Rex