anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第80部分

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man　by　the　name　of　Croft　to　fight　a　duel；　and　would　accept　only　deadly　weapons；　he　shot　his　adversary　in　the　chest；　the　quarrel　grew　out　of　his　resentment　of　ridicule　of　his　diminutive　size。　He　was　accused　of　participation　in　the　Papist　Plot　and　imprisoned　by　his　political　enemies　in　the　Gate　House　at　Westminster；　where　he　died　in　1682　at　the　advanced　age　of　sixty…three。　In　Scott's　〃Peveril　of　the　Peak〃　Hudson　figures　prominently。　This　author　seemed　fond　of　dwarfs。

About　the　same　epoch　Charles　I　had　a　page　in　his　court　named　Richard　Gibson；　who　was　remarkable　for　his　diminutive　size　and　his　ability　as　a　miniature　painter。　This　little　artist　espoused　another　of　his　class；　Anne　Shepherd；　a　dwarf　of　Queen　Henriette　Marie；　about　his　size　（45　inches）。　Mistress　Gibson　bore　nine　children；　five　of　whom　arrived　at　adult　age　and　were　of　ordinary　proportions。　She　died　at　the　age　of　eighty；　her　husband　afterward　became　the　drawing　master　of　Princesses　Mary　and　Anne；　daughters　of　James　II；　he　died　July　23；　1690；　aged　seventy…five　years。

In　1730　there　was　born　of　poor　fisher　parents　at　Jelst　a　child　named　Wybrand　Lokes。　He　became　a　very　skilful　jeweler；　and　though　he　was　of　diminutive　stature　he　married　a　woman　of　medium　height；　by　whom　he　had　several　children。　He　was　one　of　the　smallest　men　ever　exhibited；　measuring　but　25　1/2　inches　in　height。　To　support　his　family　better；　he　abandoned　his　trade　and　with　great　success　exhibited　himself　throughout　Holland　and　England。　After　having　amassed　a　great　fortune　he　returned　to　his　country；　where　he　died　in　1800；　aged　seventy。　He　was　very　intelligent；　and　proved　his　power　of　paternity；　especially　by　one　son；　who　at　twenty…three　was　5　feet　3　inches　tall；　and　robust。

Another　celebrated　dwarf　was　Nicolas　Ferry；　otherwise　known　as　Bebe。　He　was　born　at　Plaine　in　the　Vosges　in　1741；　he　was　but　22　cm。　（8　1/2　inches）　long；　weighed　14　ounces　at　birth；　and　was　carried　on　a　plate　to　the　church　for　baptism。　At　five　Bebe　was　presented　to　King　Stanislas　of　Poland。　At　fifteen　he　measured　29　inches。　He　was　of　good　constitution；　but　was　almost　an　idiot；　for　example；　he　did　not　recognize　his　mother　after　fifteen　days'　separation。　He　was　quite　lax　in　his　morals；　and　exhibited　no　evidences　of　good　nature　except　his　lively　attachment　for　his　royal　master；　who　was　himself　a　detestable　character。　He　died　at　twenty…two　in　a　very　decrepit　condition；　and　his　skeleton　is　preserved　in　the　Museum　of　Natural　History　in　Paris。　Shortly　before　his　death　Bebe　became　engaged　to　a　female　dwarf　named　Therese　Souvray；　who　at　one　time　was　exhibited　in　Paris　at　the　Theatre　Conti；　together　with　an　older　sister。　Therese　lived　to　be　seventy…three；　and　both　she　and　her　sister　measured　only　30　inches　in　height。　She　died　in　1819。

Aldrovandus　gives　a　picture　of　a　famous　dwarf　of　the　Duc　de　Crequi　who　was　only　30　inches　tall；　though　perfectly　formed；　he　also　speaks　of　some　dwarfs　who　were　not　over　2　feet　high。

There　was　a　Polish　gentleman　named　Joseph　Borwilaski；　born　in　1739　who　was　famed　all　over　Europe。　He　became　quite　a　scholar；　speaking　French　and　German　fairly　well。　In　1860；　at　the　age　of　twenty…two；　and　28　inches　in　height；　he　married　a　woman　of　ordinary　stature；　who　bore　him　two　infants　well　conformed。　He　was　exhibited　in　many　countries；　and　finally　settled　at　Durham；　England；　where　he　died　in　1837　at　the　almost　incredible　age　of　ninety…eight；　and　is　buried　by　the　side　of　the　Falstaffian　Stephen　Kemble。　Mary　Jones　of　Shropshire；　a　dwarf　32　inches　tall　and　much　deformed；　died　in　1773　at　the　age　of　one　hundred。　These　two　instances　are　striking　examples　of　great　age　in　dwarfs　and　are　therefore　of　much　interest。　Borwilaski's　parents　were　tall　in　stature　and　three　of　his　brothers　were　small；　three　of　the　other　children　measured　5　feet　6　inches。　Diderot　has　written　a　history　of　this　family。

Richeborg；　a　dwarf　only　23　inches　in　height；　died　in　Paris　in　1858　aged　ninety　years。　In　childhood　he　had　been　a　servant　in　the　House　of　Orleans　and　afterward　became　their　pensioner。　During　the　Revolution　he　passed　in　and　out　of　Paris　as　an　infant　in　a　nurse's　arms；　thus　carrying　dispatches　memorized　which　might　have　proved　dangerous　to　carry　in　any　other　manner。

At　St。　Philip's；　Birmingham；　there　is　the　following　inscription　on　a　tomb：　〃In　memory　of　Mannetta　Stocker；　who　quitted　this　life　on　the　4th　day　of　May；　1819；　at　the　age　of　thirty…nine　years；　the　smallest　woman　in　the　kingdom；　and　one　of　the　most　accomplished。〃　She　was　born　in　Krauma；　in　the　north　of　Austria；　under　normal　conditions。　Her　growth　stopped　at　the　age　of　four；　when　she　was　33　inches　tall。　She　was　shown　in　many　villages　and　cities　over　Europe　and　Great　Britain；　she　was　very　gay；　played　well　on　the　piano；　and　had　divers　other　accomplishments。

In　1742　there　was　shown　in　London　a　dwarf　by　the　name　of　Robert　Skinner；　。63　meters　in　height；　and　his　wife；　Judith；　who　was　a　little　larger。　Their　exhibition　was　a　great　success　and　they　amassed　a　small　fortune；　during　twenty…three　years　they　had　14　robust　and　well…formed　children。　Judith　died　in　1763；　and　Robert　grieved　so　much　after　her　that　he　himself　expired　two　years　later。

Figure　161　shows　a　female　dwarf　with　her　husband　and　child；　all　of　whom　were　exhibited　some　years　since　in　the　Eastern　United　States。　The　likeness　of　the　child　to　the　mother　is　already　noticeable。

Buffon　speaks　of　dwarfs　24；　21；　and　18　inches　high；　and　mentions　one　individual；　aged　thirty…seven；　only　16　inches　tall；　whom　he　considers　the　smallest　person　on　record。　Virey　in　1818　speaks　of　an　English　child　of　eight　or　nine　who　was　but　18　inches　tall。　It　had　the　intelligence　of　a　child　of　three　or　four；　its　dentition　was　delayed　until　it　was　two　years　old　and　it　did　not　walk　until　four。　The　parents　of　this　child　were　of　ordinary　stature。

At　the　〃Cosmorama〃　in　Regent　Street　in　1848　there　was　a　Dutch　boy　of　ten　exhibited。　He　was　said　to　be　the　son　of　an　apothecary　and　at　the　time　of　his　birth　weighed　nine　pounds。　He　continued　to　grow　for　six　months　and　at　the　expiration　of　that　time　weighed　12　pounds；　since　then；　however；　he　had　only　increased　four　pounds。　The　arrest　of　development　seemed　to　be　connected　with　hydrocephalus；　although　the　head　was　no　larger　than　that　of　a　child　of　two；　the　anterior　fontanelle　was　widely　open；　indicating　that　there　was　pressure　within。　He　was　strong　and　muscular；　grave　and　sedate　in　his　manner；　cheerful　and　affectionate；　his　manners　were　polite　and　engaging；　he　was　expert　in　many　kinds　of　handicraft；　he　possessed　an　ardent　desire　for　knowledge　and　aptitude　for　education。

Rawdon　described　a　boy　of　five　and　a　half；　at　the　Liverpool　Infirmary　for　Children；　who　weighed　10　1/2　pounds　and　whose　height　was　28　or　29　inches。　He　uttered　no　articulate　sound；　but　evidently　possessed　the　sense　of　hearing。　His　eyes　were　large　and　well　formed；　but　he　was　apparently　blind。　He　suckled；　cut　his　teeth　normally；　but　had　tonic　contractions　of　the　spine　and　was　an　apparent　idiot。

Hardie　mentions　a　girl　of　sixteen　and　a　half　whose　height　was　40　inches　and　weight　35　1/2　pounds；　including　her　clothes。　During　intrauterine　life　her　mother　had　good　health　and　both　her　parents　had　always　been　healthy。　She　seemed　to　stop　growing　at　her　fourth　year。　Her　intellect　was　on　a　par　with　the　rest　of　her　body。　Sometimes　she　would　talk　and　again　she　would　preserve　rigid　silence　for　a　long　time。　She　had　a　shuffling　walk　with　a　tendency　to　move　on　her　toes。　Her　temporary　teeth　were　shed　in　the　usual　manner　and　had　been　replaced　by　canines　and　right　first　molar　and　incisors　on　the　right　side。　There　was　no　indication　of　puberty　except　a　slight　development　of　the　hips。　She　was　almost　totally　imbecile；　but　could　tell　her　letters　and　spell　short　words。　The　circumference　of　the　head　was　19　inches；　and　Ross　pointed　out　that　the　tendon…reflexes　were　well　marked；　as　well　as　the　ankle…clonus；　he　diagnosed　the　case　as　one　of　parencephalus。　Figure　162　represents　a　most　curious　case　of　a　dwarf　named　Carrie　Akers；　who；　though　only　34　inches　tall；　weighed　309　pounds。

In　recent　years　several　dwarfs　have　commanded　the　popular　attention；　but　none　so　much　as　〃General　Tom　Thumb；〃　the　celebrated　dwarf　of　Barnum's　Circus。　Charles　Stratton；　surnamed　〃Tom　Thumb；〃　was　born　at　Bridgeport；　Conn。；　on　January　11；　1832；　he　was　above　the　normal　weight　of　the　new…born。　He　ceased　growing　at　about　five　months；　when　his　height　was　less　than　21　inches。　Barnum；　hearing　of　this　phenomenon　in　his　city；　engaged　him；　and　he　was　shown　all　over　the　world　under　his　assumed　name。　He　was　presented　to　Queen　Victoria　in　1844；　and　in　the　following　year　he　was　received　by　the　Royal　Family　in　France。　His　success　was　wonderful；　and　even　the　most　conservative　journals　described　and　commented　on　him。　He　gave　concerts；　in　which　he　sang　in　a　nasal　voice；　but　his　〃drawing　feat〃　was　embracing　the　women　who　visited　him。　It　is　said　that　in　England　alone　he　kissed　a　million　females；　he　prided　himself　on　his　success　in　this　function；　although　his　features　were　anything　but　inviting。　After　he　had　received　numerous　presents　and　had　amassed　a　large　fortune　he　returned　to　America　in　1864；　bringing　with　him　three　other　dwarfs；　the　〃Sisters　Warren〃　and　〃Commodore　Nutt。〃　He　married　one　of　the　Warrens；　and　by　her　had　one　child；　Minnie；　who　died　some　months　after　birth　of　cerebral　congestion。　In　1883　Tom　Thumb　and　his　wife；　Lavinia；　were　still　living；　but　after　that　they　dropped　from　public　view　and　have　since　died。

In　1895　the　wife　of　a　dwarf　named　Morris　gave　birth　to　twins　at　Blaenavon；　North　Wales。　Morris　is　only　35　inches　in　height　and　his　wife　is　even　smaller。　They　were　married　at　Bartholmey　Church　and　have　since　been　traveling　through　England　under　the　name　of　〃General　and　Mrs。　Small；〃　being　the　smallest　married　couple　in　the　world。　At　the　latest　reports　the　mother　and　her　twins　were　doing　well。

The　Rossow　Brothers　have　been　recently　exhibited　to　the　public。　These　brothers；　Franz　and　Carl；　are　twenty　and　eighteen　years　respectively。　Franz　is　the　eldest　of　16　children　and　is　said　to　weigh　24　pounds　and　measure　21　inches　in　height；　Carl　is　said　to　weigh　less　than　his　brother　but　is　29　inches　tall。　They　give　a　clever　gymnastic　exhibition　and　are　apparently　intelligent。　They　advertise　that　they　were　examined　and　still　remain　u