anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第78部分

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et　long。　In　1712　in　a　village　in　Holland　there　died　a　fisherman　named　Gerrit　Bastiaansen　who　was　8　feet　high　and　weighed　500　pounds。　During　Queen　Anne's　reign　there　was　shown　in　London　and　other　parts　of　England　a　most　peculiar　anomalya　German　giantess　without　hands　or　feet　who　threaded　a　needle；　cut　gloves；　etc。　About　1821　there　was　issued　an　engraving　of　Miss　Angelina　Melius；　nineteen　years　of　age　and　7　feet　high；　attended　by　her　page；　Senor　Don　Santiago　de　los　Santos；　from　the　Island　of　Manilla；　thirty…live　years　old　and　2　feet　2　inches　high。　〃The　Annual　Register〃　records　the　death　of　Peter　Tuchan　at　Posen　on　June　18；　1825；　of　dropsy　of　the　chest。　He　was　twenty…nine　years　old　and　8　feet　7　inches　in　height；　he　began　to　grow　at　the　age　of　seven。　This　monster　had　no　beard；　his　voice　was　soft；　he　was　a　moderate　eater。　There　was　a　giant　exhibited　in　St。　Petersburg；　June；　1829；　8　feet　8　inches　in　height；　who　was　very　thin　and　emaciated。

Dr。　Adam　Clarke；　who　died　in　1832；　measured　a　man　8　feet　6　inches　tall。　Frank　Buckland；　in　his　〃Curiosities　of　Natural　History；〃　says　that　Brice；　the　French　giant；　was　7　feet　7　inches。　Early　in　1837　there　was　exhibited　at　Parma　a　young　man　formerly　in　the　service　of　the　King　of　the　Netherlands　who　was　8　feet　10　inches　high　and　weighed　401　pounds。　Robert　Hale；　the　〃Norfolk　Giant；〃　who　died　in　Yarmouth　in　1843　at　the　age　of　forty…three；　was　7　feet　6　inches　high　and　weighed　452　pounds。　The　skeleton　of　Cornelius　McGrath；　now　preserved　in　the　Trinity　College　Museum；　Dublin；　is　a　striking　example　of　gigantism。　At　sixteen　years　he　measured　7　feet　10　inches。

O'Brien　or　Byrne；　the　Irish　giant；　was　supposed　to　be　8　feet　4　inches　in　height　at　the　time　of　his　death　in　1783　at　the　age　of　twenty…two。　The　story　of　his　connection　with　the　illustrious　John　Hunter　is　quite　interesting。　Hunter　had　vowed　that　he　would　have　the　skeleton　of　O'Brien；　and　O'Brien　was　equally　averse　to　being　boiled　in　the　distinguished　scientist's　kettle。　The　giant　was　tormented　all　his　life　by　the　constant　assertions　of　Hunter　and　by　his　persistence　in　locating　him。　Finally；　when；　following　the　usual　early　decline　of　his　class　of　anomalies；　O'Brien　came　to　his　death…bed；　he　bribed　some　fishermen　to　take　his　body　after　his　death　to　the　middle　of　the　Irish　Channel　and　sink　it　with　leaden　weights。　Hunter；　it　is　alleged；　was　informed　of　this　and　overbribed　the　prospective　undertakers　and　thus　secured　the　body。　It　has　been　estimated　that　it　cost　Hunter　nearly　500　pounds　sterling　to　gain　possession　of　the　skeleton　of　the　〃Irish　Giant。〃　The　kettle　in　which　the　body　was　boiled；　together　with　some　interesting　literature　relative　to　the　circumstances；　are　preserved　in　the　Museum　of　the　Royal　College　of　Surgeons　in　London；　and　were　exhibited　at　the　meeting　of　the　British　Medical　Association　in　1895　with　other　Hunterian　relics。　The　skeleton；　which　is　now　one　of　the　features　of　the　Museum；　is　reported　to　measure　92　3/4　inches　in　height；　and　is　mounted　alongside　that　of　Caroline　Crachami；　the　Sicilian　dwarf；　who　was　exhibited　as　an　Italian　princess　in　London　in　1824。　She　did　not　grow　after　birth　and　died　at　the　age　of　nine。

Patrick　Cotter；　the　successor　of　O'Brien；　and　who　for　awhile　exhibited　under　this　name；　claiming　that　he　was　a　lineal　descendant　of　the　famous　Irish　King；　Brian　Boru；　who　he　declared　was　9　feet　in　height；　was　born　in　1761；　and　died　in　1806　at　the　age　of　forty…five。　His　shoe　was　17　inches　long；　and　he　was　8　feet　4　inches　tall　at　his　death。

In　the　Museum　of　Madame　Tussaud　in　London　there　is　a　wax　figure　of　Loushkin；　said　to　be　the　tallest　man　of　his　time。　It　measures　8　feet　5　inches；　and　is　dressed　in　the　military　uniform　of　a　drum…major　of　the　Imperial　Preobrajensky　Regiment　of　Guards。　To　magnify　his　height　there　is　a　figure　of　the　celebrated　dwarf；　〃General　Tom　Thumb；〃　in　the　palm　of　his　hand。　Figure　158　represents　a　well…known　American　giant；　Ben　Hicks　who　was　called　〃the　Denver　Steeple。〃

Buffon　refers　to　a　Swedish　giantess　who　he　affirms　was　8　feet　6　inches　tall。　Chang；　the　〃Chinese　Giant；〃　whose　smiling　face　is　familiar　to　nearly　all　the　modern　world；　was　said　to　be　8　feet　tall。　In　1865；　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　he　measured　7　feet　8　inches。　At　Hawick；　Scotland；　in　1870；　there　was　an　Irishman　7　feet　8　inches　in　height；　52　inches　around　the　chest；　and　who　weighed　22　stone。　Figure　159　shows　an　American　giantess　known　as　〃Leah；　the　Giantess。〃　At　the　age　of　nineteen　she　was　7　feet　2　inches　tall　and　weighed　165　pounds。

On　June　17；　1871；　there　were　married　at　Saint…Martins…in…the…Field　in　London　Captain　Martin　Van　Buren　Bates　of　Kentucky　and　Miss　Anna　Swann　of　Nova　Scotia；　two　celebrated　exhibitionists；　both　of　whom　were　over　7　feet。　Captain　Bates；　familiarly　known　as　the　〃Kentucky　Giant；〃　years　ago　was　a　familiar　figure　in　many　Northern　cities；　where　he　exhibited　himself　in　company　with　his　wife；　the　combined　height　of　the　two　being　greater　than　that　of　any　couple　known　to　history。　Captain　Bates　was　born　in　Whitesburg；　Letcher　County；　Ky。；　on　November　9；　1845。　He　enlisted　in　the　Southern　army　in　1861；　and　though　only　sixteen　years　old　was　admitted　to　the　service　because　of　his　size。　At　the　close　of　the　war　Captain　Bates　had　attained　his　great　height　of　7　feet　2　1/2　inches。　His　body　was　well　proportioned　and　his　weight　increased　until　it　reached　450　pounds。　He　traveled　as　a　curiosity　from　1866　to　1880；　being　connected　with　various　amusement　organizations。　He　visited　nearly　all　the　large　cities　and　towns　in　the　United　States；　Canada；　Great　Britain；　France；　Spain；　Germany；　Switzerland；　Austria；　and　Russia。　While　in　England　in　1871　the　Captain　met　Miss　Anna　H。　Swann；　known　as　the　〃Nova　Scotia　Giantess；〃　who　was　two　years　the　junior　of　her　giant　lover。　Miss　Swann　was　justly　proud　of　her　height；　7　feet　5　1/2　inches。　The　two　were　married　soon　afterward。　Their　combined　height　of　14　feet　8　inches　marked　them　as　the　tallest　married　couple　known　to　mankind。

Captain　Bates'　parents　were　of　medium　size。　His　father；　a　native　of　Virginia；　was　5　feet　10　inches　high　and　weighed　160　pounds。　His　mother　was　5　feet　3　inches　tall　and　weighed　125　pounds。　The　height　of　the　father　of　Mrs。　Anna　Swann　Bates　was　6　feet　and　her　mother　was　5　feet　and　2　inches　high；　weighing　but　100　pounds。

A　recent　newspaper　dispatch　says：　〃Captain　M。　V。　Bates；　whose　remarkable　height　at　one　time　attracted　the　attention　of　the　world；　has　recently　retired　from　his　conspicuous　position　and　lives　in　comparative　obscurity　on　his　farm　in　Guilford；　Medina　County；　O。；　half　a　mile　east　of　Seville。〃

In　1845　there　was　shown　in　Paris　Joachim　Eleiceigui；　the　Spanish　giant；　who　weighed　195　kilograms　（429　pounds）　and　whose　hands　were　42　cm。　（16　1/2　inches）　long　and　of　great　beauty。　In　1882　at　the　Alhambra　in　London　there　was　a　giantess　by　the　name　of　Miss　Marian；　called　the　〃Queen　of　the　Amazons；〃　aged　eighteen　years；　who　measured　2。45　meters　（96　1/2　inches）。　William　Campbell；　a　Scotchman；　died　at　Newcastle　in　May　1878。　He　was　so　large　that　the　window　of　the　room　in　which　the　deceased　lay　and　the　brick…work　to　the　level　of　the　floor　had　to　be　taken　out；　in　order　that　the　coffin　might　be　lowered　with　block　and　tackle　three　stories　to　the　ground。　On　January　27；　1887；　a　Greek；　although　a　Turkish　subject；　recently　died　of　phthisis　in　Simferopol。　He　was　7　feet　8　inches　in　height　and　slept　on　three　beds　laid　close　together。

Giants　of　History。A　number　of　persons　of　great　height；　particularly　sovereigns　and　warriors；　are　well…known　characters　of　history；　viz。；　William　of　Scotland；　Edward　III；　Godefroy　of　Bouillon；　Philip　the　Long；　Fairfax；　Moncey；　Mortier；　Kleber；　there　are　others　celebrated　in　modern　times。　Rochester；　the　favorite　of　Charles　II；　Pothier；　the　jurist；　Bank；　the　English　naturalist；　Gall；　Billat…Savarin；　Benjamin　Constant；　the　painter　David；　Bellart；　the　geographer　Delamarche；　and　Care；　the　founder　of　the　Gentleman's　Magazine；　were　all　men　of　extraordinary　stature。

Dwarfs。The　word　〃dwarf〃　is　of　Saxon　origin　（dwerg；　dweorg）　and　corresponds　to　the　〃pumilio〃　or　〃nanus〃　of　the　Romans。　The　Greeks　believed　in　the　pygmy　people　of　Thrace　and　Pliny　speaks　of　the　Spithamiens。　In　the　〃Iliad〃　Homer　writes　of　the　pygmies　and　Juvenal　also　describes　them；　but　the　fantasies　of　these　poets　have　given　these　creatures　such　diminutive　stature　that　they　have　deprived　the　traditions　of　credence。　Herodotus　relates　that　in　the　deserts　of　Lybia　there　were　people　of　extreme　shortness　of　stature。　The　Bible　mentions　that　no　dwarf　can　officiate　at　the　altar。　Aristotle　and　Philostratus　speak　of　pygmy　people　descended　from　Pygmaeus；　son　of　Dorus。　In　the　seventeenth　century　van　Helmont　supposed　that　there　were　pygmies　in　the　Canary　Islands；　and　Abyssinia；　Brazil；　and　Japan　in　the　older　times　were　repeatedly　said　to　contain　pygmy　races。　Relics　of　what　must　have　been　a　pygmy　race　have　been　found　in　the　Hebrides；　and　in　this　country　in　Kentucky　and　Tennessee。

Dr。　Schweinfurth；　the　distinguished　African　traveler；　confirms　the　statements　of　Homer；　Herodotus；　and　Aristotle　that　there　was　a　race　of　pygmies　near　the　source　of　the　Nile。　Schweinfurth　says　that　they　live　south　of　the　country　occupied　by　the　Niam…Niam；　and　that　their　stature　varies　from　4　feet　to　4　feet　10　inches。　These　people　are　called　the　Akkas；　and　wonderful　tales　are　told　of　their　agility　and　cunning；　characteristics　that　seem　to　compensate　for　their　small　stature。

In　1860　Paul　DuChaillu　speaks　of　the　existence　of　an　African　people　called　the　Obongos；　inhabiting　the　country　of　the　Ashangos；　a　little　to　the　south　of　the　equator；　who　were　about　1。4　meters　in　height。　There　have　been　people　found　in　the　Esquimaux　region　of　very　diminutive　stature。　Battel　discovered　another　pygmy　people　near　the　Obongo　who　are　called　the　Dongos。　Kolle　describes　the　Kenkobs；　who　are　but　3　to　4　feet　high；　and　another　tribe　called　the　Reebas；　who　vary　from　3　to　5　feet　in　height。　The　Portuguese　speak　of　a　race　of　dwarfs　whom　they　call　the　Bakka…bakka；　and　of　the　Yogas；　who　inhabit　territory　as　far　as　the　Loango。　Nubia　has　a　tribe　of　dwarfs　called　the　Sukus；　but　little　is　known　of　them。　Throughout　India　there　are　stories　of　dwarf　tribes　descended　from　the　monkey…God；　or　Hoonuman　of　the　mythologic　poems。

In　the　works　of　Humboldt　and　Burgoa　there　is　allusion　to　the