anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第98部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Occasionally　a　religious　ceremony　has　given　sanction　to　cannibalism。　It　is　said　that　in　the　Island　of　Chios　there　was　a　rite　by　way　of　sacrifice　to　Dionysius　in　which　a　man　was　torn　limb　from　limb；　and　Faber　tells　us　that　the　Cretans　had　an　annual　festival　in　which　they　tore　a　living　bull　with　their　teeth。　Spencer　quotes　that　among　the　Bacchic　orgies　of　many　of　the　tribes　of　North　America；　at　the　inauguration　of　one　of　the　Clallum　chiefs　on　the　northwest　coast　of　British　America；　the　chief　seized　a　small　dog　and　began　to　devour　it　alive；　and　also　bit　the　shoulders　of　bystanders。　In　speaking　of　these　ceremonies；　Boas；　quoted　by　Bourke；　says　that　members　of　the　tribes　practicing　Hamatsa　ceremonies　show　remarkable　scars　produced　by　biting；　and　at　certain　festivals　ritualistic　cannibalism　is　practiced；　it　being　the　duty　of　the　Hamatsa　to　bite　portions　of　flesh　out　of　the　arms；　legs；　or　breast　of　a　man。

Another　cause　of　cannibalism；　and　the　one　which　deserves　discussion　here；　is　genuine　perversion　or　depravity　of　the　appetite　for　human　flesh　among　civilized　persons；the　desire　sometimes　being　so　strong　as　to　lead　to　actual　murder。　Several　examples　of　this　anomaly　are　on　record。　Gruner　of　Jena　speaks　of　a　man　by　the　name　of　Goldschmidt；　in　the　environs　of　Weimar；　who　developed　a　depraved　appetite　for　human　flesh。　He　was　married　at　twenty…seven；　and　for　twenty…eight　years　exercised　his　calling　as　a　cow…herd。　Nothing　extraordinary　was　noticed　in　him；　except　his　rudeness　of　manner　and　his　choleric　and　gross　disposition。　In　1771；　at　the　age　of　fifty…five；　he　met　a　young　traveler　in　the　woods；　and　accused　him　of　frightening　his　cows；　a　discussion　arose；　and　subsequently　a　quarrel；　in　which　Goldschmidt　killed　his　antagonist　by　a　blow　with　a　stick　which　he　used。　To　avoid　detection　he　dragged　the　body　to　the　bushes；　cut　it　up；　and　took　it　home　in　sections。　He　then　washed；　boiled；　and　ate　each　piece。　Subsequently；　he　developed　a　further　taste　for　human　flesh；　and　was　finally　detected　in　eating　a　child　which　he　had　enticed　into　his　house　and　killed。　He　acknowledged　his　appetite　before　his　trial。

Hector　Boetius　says　that　a　Scotch　brigand　and　his　wife　and　children　were　condemned　to　death　on　proof　that　they　killed　and　ate　their　prisoners。　The　extreme　youth　of　one　of　the　girls　excused　her　from　capital　punishment；　but　at　twelve　years　she　was　found　guilty　of　the　same　crime　as　her　father　and　suffered　capital　punishment。　This　child　had　been　brought　up　in　good　surroundings；　yet　her　inherited　appetite　developed。　Gall　tells　of　an　individual　who；　instigated　by　an　irresistible　desire　to　eat　human　flesh；　assassinated　many　persons；　and　his　daughter；　though　educated　away　from　him；　yielded　to　the　same　graving。

At　Bicetre　there　was　an　individual　who　had　a　horribly　depraved　appetite　for　decaying　human　flesh。　He　would　haunt　the　graveyards　and　eat　the　putrefying　remains　of　the　recently　buried；　preferring　the　intestines。　Having　regaled　himself　in　a　midnight　prowl；　he　would　fill　his　pockets　for　future　use。　When　interrogated　on　the　subject　of　his　depravity　he　said　it　had　existed　since　childhood。　He　acknowledged　the　greatest　desire　to　devour　children　he　would　meet　playing；　but　he　did　not　possess　the　courage　to　kill　them。

Prochaska　quotes　the　case　of　a　woman　of　Milan　who　attracted　children　to　her　home　in　order　that　she　might　slay；　salt；　and　eat　them。　About　1600；　there　is　the　record　of　a　boy　named　Jean　Granier；　who　had　repeatedly　killed　and　devoured　several　young　children　before　he　was　discovered。　Rodericus　a　Castro　tells　of　a　pregnant　woman　who　so　strongly　desired　to　eat　the　shoulder　of　a　baker　that　she　killed　him；　salted　his　body；　and　devoured　it　at　intervals。

There　is　a　record　of　a　woman　who　in　July；　1817；　was　discovered　in　cooking　an　amputated　leg　of　her　little　child。　Gorget　in　1827　reported　the　celebrated　case　of　Leger　the　vine　dresser；　who　at　the　age　of　twenty…four　wandered　about　a　forest　for　eight　days　during　an　attack　of　depression。　Coming　across　a　girl　of　twelve；　he　violated　her；　and　then　mutilated　her　genitals；　and　tore　out　her　heart；　eating　of　it；　and　drinking　the　blood。　He　finally　confessed　his　crime　with　calm　indifference。　After　Leger's　execution　Esquirol　found　morbid　adhesions　between　the　brain　and　the　cerebral　membranes。　Mascha　relates　a　similar　instance　in　a　man　of　fifty…five　who　violated　and　killed　a　young　girl；　eating　of　her　genitals　and　mammae。　At　the　trial　he　begged　for　execution；　saying　that　the　inner　impulse　that　led　him　to　his　crime　constantly　persecuted　him。

A　modern　example　of　lust…murder　and　anthropophagy　is　that　of　Menesclou；　who　was　examined　by　Brouardel；　Motet；　and　others；　and　declared　to　be　mentally　sound；　he　was　convicted。　This　miscreant　was　arrested　with　the　forearm　of　a　missing　child　in　his　pocket；　and　in　his　stove　were　found　the　head　and　entrails　in　a　half…burnt　condition。　Parts　of　the　body　were　found　in　the　water…closet；　but　the　genitals　were　missing；　he　was　executed；　although　he　made　no　confession；　saying　the　deed　was　an　accident。　Morbid　changes　were　found　in　his　brain。　Krafft…Ebing　cites　the　case　of　Alton；　a　clerk　in　England；　who　lured　a　child　into　a　thicket；　and　after　a　time　returned　to　his　office；　where　he　made　an　entry　in　his　note…book：　〃Killed　to…day　a　young　girl；　it　was　fine　and　hot。〃　The　child　was　missed；　searched　for；　and　found　cut　into　pieces。　Many　parts；　and　among　them　the　genitals；　could　not　be　found。　Alton　did　not　show　the　slightest　trace　of　emotion；　and　gave　no　explanation　of　the　motive　or　circumstances　of　his　horrible　deed；　he　was　executed。

D'Amador　tells　of　persons　who　went　into　slaughter…houses　and　waste…places　to　dispute　with　wolves　for　the　most　revolting　carrion。　It　is　also　mentioned　that　patients　in　hospitals　have　been　detected　in　drinking　the　blood　of　patients　after　venesections；　and　in　other　instances　frequenting　dead…houses　and　sucking　the　blood　of　the　recently　deceased。　Du　Saulle　quotes　the　case　of　a　chlorotic　girl　of　fourteen　who　eagerly　drank　human　blood。　She　preferred　that　flowing　fresh　from　a　recent　wound。

Further　Examples　of　Depraved　Appetites。Bijoux　speaks　of　a　porter　or　garcon　at　the　Jardin　des　Plantes　in　Paris　who　was　a　prodigious　glutton。　He　had　eaten　the　body　of　a　lion　that　had　died　of　disease　at　the　menagerie。　He　ate　with　avidity　the　most　disgusting　things　to　satiate　his　depraved　appetite。　He　showed　further　signs　of　a　perverted　mind　by　classifying　the　animals　of　the　menagerie　according　to　the　form　of　their　excrement；　of　which　he　had　a　collection。　He　died　of　indigestion　following　a　meal　of　eight　pounds　of　hot　bread。

Percy　saw　the　famous　Tarrare；　who　died　at　Versailles；　at　about　twenty…six　years　of　age。　At　seventeen　he　weighed　100　pounds。　He　ate　a　quarter　of　beef　in　twenty…four　hours。　He　was　fond　of　the　most　revolting　things。　He　particularly　relished　the　flesh　of　serpents　and　would　quickly　devour　the　largest。　In　the　presence　of　Lorenze　he　seized　a　live　cat　with　his　teeth；　eventrated　it；　sucked　its　blood；　and　ate　it；　leaving　the　bare　skeleton　only。　In　about　thirty　minutes　he　rejected　the　hairs　in　the　manner　of　birds　of　prey　and　carnivorous　animals。　He　also　ate　dogs　in　the　same　manner。　On　one　occasion　it　was　said　that　he　swallowed　a　living　eel　without　chewing　it；　but　he　had　first　bitten　off　its　head。　He　ate　almost　instantly　a　dinner　that　had　been　prepared　for　15　vigorous　workmen　and　drank　the　accompanying　water　and　took　their　aggregate　allowance　of　salt　at　the　same　time。　After　this　meal　his　abdomen　was　so　swollen　that　it　resembled　a　balloon。　He　was　seen　by　Courville；　a　surgeon…major　in　a　military　hospital；　where　he　had　swallowed　a　wooden　box　wrapped　in　plain　white　paper。　This　he　passed　the　next　day　with　the　paper　intact。　The　General…in…chief　had　seen　him　devour　thirty　pounds　of　raw　liver　and　lungs。　Nothing　seemed　to　diminish　his　appetite。　He　waited　around　butcher…shops　to　eat　what　was　discarded　for　the　dogs。　He　drank　the　bleedings　of　the　hospital　and　ate　the　dead　from　the　dead…houses。　He　was　suspected　of　eating　a　child　of　fourteen　months；　but　no　proof　could　be　produced　of　this。　He　was　of　middle　height　and　was　always　heated　and　sweating。　He　died　of　a　purulent　diarrhea；　all　his　intestines　and　peritoneum　being　in　a　suppurating　condition。

Fulton　mentions　a　girl　of　six　who　exhibited　a　marked　taste　for　feeding　on　slugs；　beetles；　cockroaches；　spiders；　and　repulsive　insects。　This　child　had　been　carefully　brought　up　and　was　one　of　13　children；　none　of　whom　displayed　any　similar　depravity　of　appetite。　The　child　was　of　good　disposition　and　slightly　below　the　normal　mental　standard　for　her　age。　At　the　age　of　fourteen　her　appetite　became　normal。

In　the　older　writings　many　curious　instances　of　abnormal　appetite　are　seen。　Borellus　speaks　of　individuals　swallowing　stones；　horns；　serpents；　and　toads。　Plater　mentions　snail…eating　and　eel…eating；　two　customs　still　extant。　Rhodius　is　accredited　with　seeing　persons　who　swallowed　spiders　and　scorpions。　Jonston　says　that　Avicenna；　Rufus；　and　Gentilis　relate　instances　of　young　girls　who　acquired　a　taste　for　poisonous　animals　and　substances；　who　could　ingest　them　with　impunity。　Colonia　Agrippina　was　supposed　to　have　eaten　spiders　with　impunity。　Van　Woensel　is　said　to　have　seen　persons　who　devoured　live　eels。

The　habit　of　dirt　eating　or　clay…eating；　called　pica；　is　well　authenticated　in　many　countries。　The　Ephemerides　contains　mention　of　it；　Hunter　speaks　of　the　blacks　who　eat　potters'　clay；　Bartholinus　describes　dirt…eating　as　does　also　a　Castro。　Properly　speaking；　dirt…eating　should　be　called　geophagism；　it　is　common　in　the　Antilles　and　South　America；　among　the　low　classes；　and　is　seen　in　the　negroes　and　poorest　classes　of　some　portions　of　the　Southern　United　States。　It　has　also　been　reported　from　Java；　China；　Japan；　and　is　said　to　have　been　seen　in　Spain　and　Portugal。　Peat…eating　or　bog…eating　is　still　seen　in　some　parts　of　Ireland。

There　were　a　number　of　people　in　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries　who　had　formed　the　habit　of　eating　small　pebbles　after　each　meal。　They　formed　the　habit　from　seeing　birds　swallowing　gravel　after　eating。　A　number　of　such　cases　are　on　record。　

There　is　on　record　the　account　of　a　man　living　in　Wurtemberg　who　with　much　voracity　had　eaten　a　suckling　pig；　and　sometimes　devoured　an　entire　sheep。　He　swallowed　dirt；　clay；