anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第85部分

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ch　there　is　an　enormous　growth　of　fat；　sometimes　limited；　sometimes　spread　all　over　the　body；　this　condition　differing　from　that　of　general　lipomatosis　in　its　rarity；　in　the　mental　symptoms；　in　the　headache；　and　the　generally　painful　condition　complained　of。　In　some　of　the　cases　examined　by　Dercum　he　found　that　the　thyroid　was　indurated　and　infiltrated　by　calcareous　deposits。　The　disease　is　not　myxedema　because　there　is　no　peculiar　physiognomy；　no　spade…like　hands　nor　infiltrated　skin；　no　alteration　of　the　speech；　etc。　Dercum　considers　it　a　connective…　tissue　dystrophya　fatty　metamorphosis　of　various　stages；　possibly　a　neuritis。　The　first　of　Dercum's　cases　was　a　widow　of　Irish　birth；　who　died　both

alcoholic　and　syphilitic。　When　forty…eight　or　forty…nine　her　arms　began　to　enlarge。　In　June；　1887；　the　enlargement　affected　the　shoulders　；arms；　back；　and　sides　of　the　chest。　The　parts　affected　were　elastic；　and　there　was　no　pitting。　In　some　places　the　fat　was　lobulated；　in　others　it　appeared　as　though　filled　with　bundles　of　worms。　The　skin　was　not　thickened　and　the　muscles　were　not　involved。　In　the　right　arm　there　was　unendurable　pain　to　the　touch；　and　this　was　present　in　a　lesser　degree　in　the　left　arm。　Cutaneous　sensibility　was　lessened。　On　June　13th　a　chill　was　followed　by　herpes　over　the　left　arm　and　chest；　and　later　on　the　back　and　on　the　front　of　the　chest。　The　temperature　was　normal。　The　second　case　was　a　married　Englishwoman　of　sixty…four。　The　enlarged　tissue　was　very　unevenly　distributed；　and　sensibility　was　the　same　as　in　the　previous　case。　At　the　woman's　death　she　weighed　300　pounds；　and　the　fat　over　the　abdomen　was　three　inches　thick。　The　third　case　was　a　German　woman　in　whom　were　seen　soft；　fat…like　masses　in　various　situations　over　either　biceps；　over　the　outer　and　posterior　aspect　of　either　arm；　and　two　large　masses　over　the　belly；　there　was　excessive　prominence　of　the　mons　veneris。　At　the　autopsy　the　heart　weighed　8　1/2　ounces；　and　the　fat　below　the　umbilicus　was　seven　inches　thick。

Abnormal　Leanness。In　contrast　to　the　fat　men　are　the　so…called　〃living　skeletons；〃　or　men　who　have　attained　notice　by　reason　of　absence　of　the　normal　adipose　tissue。　The　semimythical　poet　Philotus　was　so　thin　that　it　was　said　that　he　fastened　lead　on　his　shoes　to　prevent　his　being　blown　away；a　condition　the　opposite　of　that　of　Dionysius　of　Heraclea；　who；　after　choking　to　death　from　his　fat；　could　hardly　be　moved　to　his　grave。

In　March；　1754；　there　died　in　Glamorganshire　of　mere　old　age　and　gradual　decay　a　little　Welshman；　Hopkin　Hopkins；　aged　seventeen　years。　He　had　been　recently　exhibited　in　London　as　a　natural　curiosity；　he　had　never　weighed　over　17　pounds；　and　for　the　last　three　years　of　his　life　never　more　than　12　pounds。　His　parents　still　had　six　children　left；　all　of　whom　were　normal　and　healthy　except　a　girl　of　twelve；　who　only　weighed　18　pounds　and　bore　marks　of　old　age。　

There　was　a　〃living　skeleton〃　brought　to　England　in　1825　by　the　name　of　Claude　Seurat。　He　was　born　in　1798　and　was　in　his　twenty…seventh　year。　He　usually　ate　in　the　course　of　a　day　a　penny　roll　and　drank　a　small　quantity　of　wine。　His　skeleton　was　plainly　visible；　over　which　the　skin　was　stretched　tightly。　The　distance　from　the　chest　to　the　spine　was　less　than　3　inches；　and　internally　this　distance　was　less。　The　pulsations　of　the　heart　were　plainly　visible。　He　was　in　good　health　and　slept　well。　His　voice　was　very　weak　and　shrill。　The　circumference　of　this　man's　biceps　was　only　4　inches。　The　artist　Cruikshank　has　made　several　drawings　of　Seurat。

Calvin　Edson　was　another　living　skeleton。　In　1813　he　was　in　the　army　at　the　battle　of　Plattsburg；　and　had　lain　down　in　the　cold　and　become　benumbed。　At　this　time　he　weighed　125　pounds　and　was　twenty…five　years　old。　In　1830　he　weighed　but　60　pounds；　though　5　feet　4　inches　tall。　He　was　in　perfect　health　and　could　chop　a　cord　of　wood　without　fatigue；　he　was　the　father　of　four　children。

Salter　speaks　of　a　man　in　1873　who　was　thirty…two　years　of　age　and　only　weighed　49　pounds。　He　was　4　feet　6　inches　tall：　his　forehead　measured　in　circumference　20　1/2　inches　and　his　chest　27　inches。　His　genitals；　both　internal　and　external；　were　defectively　developed。　Figure　175　represents　the　well…known　Ohio　〃living　skeleton；〃　J。　W。　Coffey；　who　has　been　exhibited　all　over　the　Continent。　His　good　health　and　appetite　were　proverbial　among　his　acquaintances。

In　some　instances　the　so…called　〃living　skeletons〃　are　merely　cases　of　extreme　muscular　atrophy。　As　a　prominent　example　of　this　class　the　exhibitionist；　Rosa　Lee　Plemons　at　the　age　of　eighteen　weighed　only　27　pounds。　Figure　177　shows　another　case　of　extraordinary　atrophic　condition　of　all　the　tissues　of　the　body　associated　with　nondevelopment。　These　persons　are　always　sickly　and　exhibit　all　the　symptoms　of　progressive　muscular　atrophy；　and　cannot　therefore　be　classed　with　the　true　examples　of　thinness；　in　which　the　health　is　but　slightly　affected　or　possibly　perfect　health　is　enjoyed。



CHAPTER　VIII。

LONGEVITY。

Scope　of　the　Present　Article。The　limits　of　space　in　this　work　render　impossible　a　scientific　discussion　upon　the　most　interesting　subject　of　longevity；　and　the　reader　is　referred　to　some　of　the　modern　works　devoted　exclusively　to　this　subject。　In　reviewing　the　examples　of　extreme　age　found　in　the　human　race　it　will　be　our　object　to　lay　before　the　reader　the　most　remarkable　instances　of　longevity　that　have　been　authentically　recorded；　to　cite　the　source　of　the　information；　when　possible　to　give　explanatory　details；　and　to　report　any　relative　points　of　value　and　interest。　Throughout　the　article　occasional　facts　will　be　given　to　show　in　what　degree　character；　habit；　and　temperament　influence　longevity；　and　in　what　state　of　mind　and　body　and　under　what　circumstances　man　has　obtained　the　highest　age。

General　Opinions。There　have　been　many　learned　authorities　who　invariably　discredit　all　accounts　of　extraordinary　age；　and　contend　that　there　has　never　been　an　instance　of　a　man　living　beyond　the　century　mark　whose　age　has　been　substantiated　by　satisfactory　proof。　Such　extremists　as　Sir　G。　Cornewall　Lewis　and　Thoms　contend　that　since　the　Christian　era　no　person　of　royal　or　noble　line　mentioned　in　history　whose　birth　was　authentically　recorded　at　its　occurrence　has　reached　one　hundred　years。　They　have　taken　the　worst　station　in　life　in　which　to　find　longevity　as　their　field　of　observation。　Longevity　is　always　most　common　in　the　middle　and　lower　classes；　in　which　we　cannot　expect　to　find　the　records　preserved　with　historical　correctness。

The　Testimony　of　Statistics。Walford　in　his　wonderful　〃Encyclopedia　of　Insurance〃　says　that　in　England　the　〃Royal　Exchange〃　for　a　period　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　years　had　insured　no　life　which　survived　ninety…six。　The　〃London　Assurance〃　for　the　same　period　had　no　clients　who　lived　over　ninety；　and　the　〃Equitable〃　had　only　one　at　ninety…six。　In　an　English　Tontine　there　was　in　1693　a　person　who　died　at　one　hundred；　and　in　Perth　there　lived　a　nominee　at　one　hundred　and　twenty…two　and　another　at　one　hundred　and　seven。　On　the　other　hand；　a　writer　in　the　Strand　Magazine　points　out　that　an　insurance　investigator　some　years　ago　gathered　a　list　of　225　centenarians　of　almost　every　social　rank　and　many　nationalities；　but　the　majority　of　them　Britons　or　Russians。

In　reviewing　Walford's　statistics　we　must　remember　that　it　has　only　been　in　recent　years　that　the　middle　and　lower　classes　of　people　have　taken　insurance　on　their　lives。　Formerly　only　the　wealthy　and　those　exposed　to　early　demise　were　in　the　habit　of　insuring。

Dr。　Ogle　of　the　English　Registrar…General's　Department　gives　tables　of　expectancy　that　show　that　82　males　and　225　females　out　of　1；000；000　are　alive　at　one　hundred　years。　The　figures　are　based　on　the　death…rates　of　the　years　1871…80。

The　researches　of　Hardy　in　the　thirteenth；　fourteenth；　fifteenth；　and　sixteenth　centuries　are　said　to　indicate　that　three…score…and…ten　was　considered　old　age；　yet　many　old　tombstones　and　monuments　contain　inscriptions　recording　age　far　beyond　this；　and　even　the　pages　of　ordinary　biographies　disprove　the　alleged　results　of　Hardy's　research。

In　all　statistical　work　of　an　individual　type　the　histories　of　the　lower　classes　are　almost　excluded；　in　the　olden　times　only　the　lives　and　movements　of　the　most　prominent　are　thought　worthy　of　record。　The　reliable　parish　register　is　too　often　monopolized　by　the　gentry；　inferior　births　not　being　thought　worth　recording。

Many　eminent　scientists　say　that　the　natural　term　of　the　life　of　an　animal　is　five　times　the　period　needed　for　its　development。　Taking　twenty…one　as　the　time　of　maturity　in　man；　the　natural　term　of　human　life　would　be　one　hundred　and　five。　Sir　Richard　Owen　fixes　it　at　one　hundred　and　three　and　a　few　months。

Censuses　of　Centenarians。Dr。　Farr；　the　celebrated　English　Registrar…General；　is　credited　with　saying　that　out　of　every　1；000；000　people　in　England　only　223　live　to　be　one　hundred　years　old；　making　an　average　of　one　to　4484。　French　says　that　during　a　period　of　ten　years；　from　1881　to　1890；　in　Massachusetts；　there　were　203　deaths　of　persons　past　the　age　of　one　hundred；　making　an　average；　with　a　population　of　394；484；　of　one　in　1928。　Of　French's　centenarians　165　were　between　one　hundred　and　one　hundred　and　five；　35　were　between　one　hundred　and　five　and　one　hundred　and　ten；　five　were　between　one　hundred　and　ten　and　one　hundred　and　fifteen；　and　one　was　one　hundred　and　eighteen。　Of　the　203；　153　were　females　and　50　males。　There　are　508　people　in　Iowa　who　are　more　than　ninety　years　of　age。　There　are　21　who　are　more　than　one　hundred　years　old。　One　person　is　one　hundred　and　fifteen　years　old；　two　are　one　hundred　and　fourteen；　and　the　remaining　18　are　from　one　hundred　to　one　hundred　and　seven。

In　the　British　Medical　Journal　for　1886　there　is　an　account　of　a　report　of　centenarians。　Fifty…two　cases　were　analyzed。　One　who　doubts　the　possibility　of　a　man　reaching　one　hundred　would　find　this　report　of　interest。

The　Paris　correspondent　to　the　London　Telegraph　is　accredited　with　the　following：

〃A　census　of　centenarians　has　been　taken　in　France；　and　the　results；　which　have　been　published；　show　that　there　are　now　alive　in　this　country　213　perso