anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第79部分

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or　Hoonuman　of　the　mythologic　poems。

In　the　works　of　Humboldt　and　Burgoa　there　is　allusion　to　the　tradition　of　a　race　of　pygmies　in　the　unexplored　region　of　Chiapas　near　the　Isthmus　of　Tehuantepec　in　Central　America。　There　is　an　expedition　of　anthropologists　now　on　the　way　to　discover　this　people。　Professor　Starr　of　Chicago　on　his　return　from　this　region　reported　many　colonies　of　undersized　people；　but　did　not　discover　any　pygmy　tribes　answering　to　the　older　legendary　descriptions。　Figure　160　represents　two　dwarf　Cottas　measuring　3　feet　6　inches　in　height。

The　African　pygmies　who　were　sent　to　the　King　of　Italy　and　shown　in　Rome　resembled　the　pygmy　travelers　of　Akka　that　Schweinfurth　saw　at　the　court　of　King　Munza　at　Monbuttu。　These　two　pygmies　at　Rome　were　found　in　Central　Africa　and　were　respectively　about　ten　and　fifteen　years　old。　They　spoke　a　dialect　of　their　own　and　different　from　any　known　African　tongue；　they　were　partly　understood　by　an　Egyptian　sergeant；　a　native　of　Soudan；　who　accompanied　them　as　the　sole　survivor　of　the　escort　with　which　their　donor；　Miani；　penetrated　Monbuttu。　Miani；　like　Livingstone；　lost　his　life　in　African　travel。　These　dwarfs　had　grown　rapidly　in　recent　years　and　at　the　time　of　report。　measured　1。15　and　1。02　meters。　In　1874　they　were　under　the　care　of　the　Royal　Geographical　Society　of　Italy。　They　were　intelligent　in　their　manner；　but　resented　being　lionized　too　much；　and　were　prone　to　scratch　ladies　who　attempted　to　kiss　them。　

The　〃Aztec　Children〃　in　1851；　at　the　ages　of　seven　and　six　years；　another　pair　of　alleged　indigenous　pygmies；　measured　33　3/4　and　29　1/2　inches　in　height　and　weighed　20　3/4　and　17　pounds　respectively。　The　circumference　of　their　heads　did　not　equal　that　of　an　ordinary　infant　at　birth。

It　is　known　that　at　one　time　the　ancients　artificially　produced　dwarfs　by　giving　them　an　insufficient　alimentation　when　very　young。　They　soon　became　rachitic　from　their　deprivation　of　lime…salts　and　a　great　number　perished；　but　those　who　survived　were　very　highly　prized　by　the　Roman　Emperors　for　their　grotesque　appearance。　There　were　various　recipes　for　dwarfing　children。　One　of　the　most　efficient　in　the　olden　times　was　said　to　have　been　anointing　the　backbone　with　the　grease　of　bats；　moles；　dormice；　and　such　animals；　it　was　also　said　that　puppies　were　dwarfed　by　frequently　washing　the　feet　and　backbone；　as　the　consequent　drying　and　hardening　of　the　parts　were　alleged　to　hinder　their　extension。　To…day　the　growth　of　boys　intended　to　be　jockeys　is　kept　down　by　excessive　sweating。

Ancient　Popularity　of　Dwarfs。At　one　time　a　dwarf　was　a　necessary　appendage　of　every　noble　family。　The　Roman　Emperors　all　had　their　dwarfs。　Julia；　the　niece　of　Augustus；　had　a　couple　of　dwarfs；　Conopas　and　Andromeda；　each　of　whom　was　2　feet　4　inches　in　height。　It　was　the　fashion　at　one　time　to　have　dwarfs　noted　for　their　wit　and　wisdom。　Philos　of　Cos；　tutor　of　Ptolemy　Philadelphus；　was　a　dwarf；　as　were　Carachus；　the　friend　of　Saladin；　Alypius　of　Alexandria；　who　was　only　2　feet　high；　Lucinus　Calvus；　who　was　only　3　feet　high；　and　aesop；　the　famous　Greek　fabulist。　Later　in　the　Middle　Ages　and　even　to　the　last　century　dwarfs　were　seen　at　every　Court。　Lady　Montagu　describes　the　dwarfs　at　the　Viennese　Court　as　〃devils　bedaubed　with　diamonds。〃　They　had　succeeded　the　Court　Jester　and　exercised　some　parts　of　this　ancient　office。　At　this　time　the　English　ladies　kept　monkeys　for　their　amusement。　The　Court　dwarfs　were　allowed　unlimited　freedom　of　speech；　and　in　order　to　get　at　truths　other　men　were　afraid　to　utter　one　of　the　Kings　of　Denmark　made　one　of　his　dwarfs　Prime　Minister。

Charles　IX　in　1572　had　nine　dwarfs；　of　which　four　had　been　given　to　him　by　King　Sigismund…Augustus　of　Poland　and　three　by　Maximilian　II　of　Germany。　Catherine　de　Medicis　had　three　couples　of　dwarfs　at　one　time；　and　in　1579　she　had　still　five　pygmies；　named　Merlin；　Mandricart；　Pelavine；　Rodomont；　and　Majoski。　Probably　the　last　dwarf　in　the　Court　of　France　was　Balthazar　Simon；　who　died　in　1662。

Sometimes　many　dwarfs　were　present　at　great　and　noble　gatherings。　In　Rome　in　1566　the　Cardinal　Vitelli　gave　a　sumptuous　banquet　at　which　the　table…attendants　were　34　dwarfs。　Peter　the　Great　of　Russia　had　a　passion　for　dwarfs；　and　in　1710　gave　a　great　celebration　in　honor　of　the　marriage　of　his　favorite；　Valakoff；　with　the　dwarf　of　the　Princess　Prescovie　Theodorovna。　There　were　72　dwarfs　of　both　sexes　present　to　form　the　bridal　party。　Subsequently；　on　account　of　dangerous　and　difficult　labor；　such　marriages　were　forbidden　in　Russia。

In　England　and　in　Spain　the　nobles　had　the　portraits　of　their　dwarfs　painted　by　the　celebrated　artists　of　the　day。　Velasquez　has　represented　Don　Antonio　el　Ingles；　a　dwarf　of　fine　appearance；　with　a　large　dog；　probably　to　bring　out　the　dwarf's　inferior　height。　This　artist　also　painted　a　great　number　of　other　dwarfs　at　the　Court　of　Spain；　and　in　one　of　his　paintings　he　portrays　the　Infanta　Marguerite　accompanied　by　her　male　and　female　dwarfs。　Reproductions　of　these　portraits　have　been　given　by　Garnier。　In　the　pictures　of　Raphael；　Paul　Veronese；　and　Dominiquin；　and　in　the　〃Triumph　of　Caesar〃　by　Mantegna；　representations　of　dwarfs　are　found；　as　well　as　in　other　earlier　pictures　representing　Court　events。　At　the　present　time　only　Russia　and　Turkey　seem　to　have　popular　sympathy　for　dwarfs；　and　this　in　a　limited　degree。

Intellectual　Dwarfs。It　must　be　remarked；　however；　that　many　of　the　dwarfs　before　the　public　have　been　men　of　extraordinary…intelligence；　possibly　augmented　by　comparison。　In　a　postmortem　discussed　at　a　meeting　of　the　Natural　History　Society　at　Bonn　in　1868　it　was　demonstrated　by　Schaufhausen　that　in　a　dwarf　subject　the　brain　weighed　1/19　of　the　body；　in　contradistinction　to　the　average　proportion　of　adults；　from　1　to　30　to　1　to　44。　The　subject　was　a　dwarf　of　sixty…one　who　died　in　Coblentz；　and　was　said　to　have　grown　after　his　thirtieth　year。　His　height　was　2　feet　10　inches　and　his　weight　45　pounds。　The　circumference　of　the　head　was　520　mm。　and　the　brain　weighed　1183。33　am。　and　was　well　convoluted。　This　case　was　one　of　simple　arrest　of　development；　affecting　all　the　organs　of　the　body；　he　was　not　virile。　He　was　a　child　of　large　parents；　had　two　brothers　and　a　sister　of　ordinary　size　and　two　brothers　dwarfs；　one　6　inches　higher　and　the　other　his　size。

Several　personages　famous　in　history　have　been　dwarfs。　Attila；　the　historian　Procopius；　Gregory　of　Tours；　Pepin　le　Bref；　Charles　III；　King　of　Naples；　and　Albert　the　Grand　were　dwarfs。　About　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century　the　French　episcopacy　possessed　among　its　members　a　dwarf　renowned　for　his　intelligence。　This　diminutive　man；　called　Godeau；　made　such　a　success　in　literature　that　by　the　grace　of　Richelieu　he　was　named　the　Archbishop　of　Grasse。　He　died　in　1672。　The　Dutch　painter　Doos；　the　English　painter　Gibson　（who　was　about　3　feet　in　height　and　the　father　of　nine　infants　by　a　wife　of　about　the　same　height）；　Prince　Eugene；　and　the　Spanish　Admiral　Gravina　were　dwarfs。　Fleury　and　Garry；　the　actors

Hay；　a　member　of　Parliament　from　Sussex　in　the　last　century；　Hussein…Pasha；　celebrated　for　his　reforms　under　Selim　III；　the　Danish　antiquarian　and　voyager；　Arendt；　and　Baron　Denon　were　men　far　below　the　average　size　Varro　says　that　there　were　two　gentlemen　of　Rome　who　from　their　decorations　must　have　belonged　to　an　Equestrian　Order；　and　who　were　but　2　Roman　cubits　（about　3　feet）　high。　Pliny　also　speaks　of　them　as　preserved　in　their　coffins。

It　may　be　remarked　that　perhaps　certain　women　are　predisposed　to　give　birth　to　dwarfs。　Borwilaski　had　a　brother　and　a　sister　who　were　dwarfs。　In　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century　a　woman　brought　forth　four　dwarfs；　and　in　the　eighteenth　century　a　dwarf　named　Hopkins　had　a　sister　as　small　as　he　was。　Therese　Souvray；　the　dwarf　fiancee　of　Bebe；　had　a　dwarf　sister　41　inches　high。　Virey　has　examined　a　German　dwarf　of　eight　who　was　only　18　inches　tall；　i。e。；　about　the　length　of　a　newly…born　infant。　The　parents　were　of　ordinary　size；　but　had　another　child　who　was　also　a　dwarf。

There　are　two　species　of　dwarfs；　the　first　coming　into　the　world　under　normal　conditions；　but　who　in　their　infancy　become　afflicted　with　a　sudden　arrest　of　development　provoked　by　some　malady；　the　second　are　born　very　small；　develop　little；　and　are　really　dwarfs　from　their　birth；　as　a　rule　they　are　well　conformed；　robust；　and　intelligent。　These　two　species　can　be　distinguished　by　an　important　characteristic。　The　rachitic　dwarfs　of　the　first　class　are　incapable　of　perpetuating　their　species；　while　those　of　the　second　category　have　proved　more　than　once　their　virility。　A　certain　number　of　dwarfs　have　married　with　women　of　normal　height　and　have　had　several　children；　though　this　is　not；　it　is　true；　an　indisputable　proof　of　their　generative　faculties；　but　we　have　instances　in　which　dwarfs　have　married　dwarfs　and　had　a　family　sometimes　quite　numerous。　Robert　Skinner　（25　inches）　and　Judith　（26　inches）；　his　wife；　had　14　infants；　well　formed；　robust；　and　of　normal　height。

Celebrated　Dwarfs。Instances　of　some　of　the　most　celebrated　dwarfs　will　be　cited　with　a　short　descriptive　mention　of　points　of　interest　in　their　lives：

Vladislas　Cubitas；　who　was　King　of　Poland　in　1305；　was　a　dwarf；　and　was　noted　for　his　intelligence；　courage；　and　as　a　good　soldier。　Geoffrey　Hudson；　the　most　celebrated　English　dwarf；　was　born　at　Oakham　in　England　in　1619。　At　the　age　of　eight；　when　not　much　over　a　foot　high；　he　was　presented　to　Henriette　Marie；　wife　of　Charles　I；　in　a　pie；　he　afterward　became　her　favorite。　Until　he　was　thirty　he　was　said　to　be　not　more　than　18　inches　high；　when　he　suddenly　increased　to　about　45　inches。　In　his　youth　he　fought　several　duels；　one　with　a　turkey　cock；　which　is　celebrated　in　the　verse　of　Davenant。　He　became　a　popular　and　graceful　courtier；　and　proved　his　bravery　and　allegiance　to　his　sovereign　by　assuming　command　of　a　royalist　company　and　doing　good　service　therein。　Both　in　moral　and　physical　capacities　he　showed　his　superiority。　At　one　time　he　was　sent　to　France　to　secure　a　midwife　for　the　Queen；　who　was　a　Frenchwoman。　He　afterward　challenged　a　gentleman　by　the　name　of　Croft　to　fight　a　duel；　and　would　accept　only　deadly　weapons；　he　shot　his　adversar