anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第104部分

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There　is　a　description　of　a　Zulu　boy　exhibited　in　Edinburgh　in　1882　whose　body　was　so　charged　with　electricity　that　he　could　impart　a　shock　to　any　of　his　patrons。　He　was　about　six…and…a…half　years　of　age；　bright；　happy；　and　spoke　English　thoroughly　well。　From　infancy　he　had　been　distinguished　for　this　faculty；　variable　with　the　state　of　the　atmosphere。　As　a　rule；　the　act　of　shaking　hands　was　generally　attended　by　a　quivering　sensation　like　that　produced　by　an　electric　current；　and　contact　with　his　tongue　gave　a　still　sharper　shock。

Sir　Charles　Bell　has　made　extensive　investigation　of　the　subject　of　human　magnetism　and　is　probably　the　best　authority　on　the　subject；　but　many　celebrated　scientists　have　studied　it　thoroughly。　In　the　Pittsburg　Medical　Review　there　is　a　description　of　a　girl　of　three　and　a　half；　a　blonde；　and　extremely　womanly　for　her　age；　who　possessed　a　wonderful　magnetic　power。　Metal　spoons　would　adhere　to　her　finger…tips；　nose；　or　chin。　The　child；　however；　could　not　pick　up　a　steel　needle；　an　article　generally　very　sensitive　to　the　magnet；　nor　would　a　penny　stick　to　any　portion　of　her　body。

Only　recently　there　was　exhibited　through　this　country　a　woman　named　Annie　May　Abbott；　who　styled　herself　the　〃Georgia　Electric　Lady。〃　This　person　gave　exhibitions　of　wonderful　magnetic　power；　and　invited　the　inspection　and　discussion　of　medical　men。　Besides　her　chief　accomplishment　she　possessed　wonderful　strength　and　was　a　skilled　equilibrist。　By　placing　her　hands　on　the　sides　of　a　chair　upon　which　a　heavy　man　was　seated；　she　would　raise　it　without　apparent　effort。　She　defied　the　strongest　person　in　the　audience　to　take　from　her　hand　a　stick　which　she　had　once　grasped。　Recent　reports　say　that　Miss　Abbott　is　amusing　herself　now　with　the　strong　men　of　China　and　Japan。　The　Japanese　wrestlers；　whose　physical　strength　is　celebrated　the　world　over；　were　unable　to　raise　Miss　Abbott　from　the　floor；　while　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers　she　neutralized　their　most　strenuous　efforts　to　lift　even　light　objects；　such　as　a　cane；　from　a　table。　The　possibilities；　in　this　advanced　era　of　electric　mechanism；　make　fraud　and　deception　so　easy　that　it　is　extremely　difficult　to　pronounce　on　the　genuineness　of　any　of　the　modern　exhibitions　of　human　electricity。

The　Effects　of　Cold。Gmelin；　the　famous　scientist　and　investigator　of　this　subject；　says　that　man　has　lived　where　the　temperature　falls　as　low　as　…157　degrees　F。　Habit　is　a　marked　factor　in　this　endurance。　In　Russia　men　and　women　work　with　their　breasts　and　arms　uncovered　in　a　temperature　many　degrees　below　zero　and　without　attention　to　the　fact。　In　the　most　rigorous　winter　the　inhabitants　of　the　Alps　work　with　bare　breasts　and　the　children　sport　about　in　the　snow。　Wrapping　himself　in　his　pelisse　the　Russian　sleeps　in　the　snow。　This　influence　of　habit　is　seen　in　the　inability　of　intruders　in　northern　lands　to　endure　the　cold；　which　has　no　effect　on　the　indigenous　people。　On　their　way　to　besiege　a　Norwegian　stronghold　in　1719；　7000　Swedes　perished　in　the　snows　and　cold　of　their　neighboring　country。　On　the　retreat　from　Prague　in　1742；　the　French　army；　under　the　rigorous　sky　of　Bohemia；　lost　4000　men　in　ten　days。　It　is　needless　to　speak　of　the　thousands　lost　in　Napoleon's　campaign　in　Russia　in　1812。

Pinel　has　remarked　that　the　insane　are　less　liable　to　the　effects　of　cold　than　their　normal　fellows；　and　mentions　the　escape　of　a　naked　maniac；　who；　without　any　visible　after…effect；　in　January；　even；　when　the　temperature　was　…4　degrees　F。；　ran　into　the　snow　and　gleefully　rubbed　his　body　with　ice。　In　the　French　journals　in　1814　there　is　the　record　of　the　rescue　of　a　naked　crazy　woman　who　was　found　in　the　Pyrenees；　and　who　had　apparently　suffered　none　of　the　ordinary　effects　of　cold。

Psychologic　Effects　of　Cold。Lambert　says　that　the　mind　acts　more　quickly　in　cold　weather；　and　that　there　has　been　a　notion　advanced　that　the　emotion　of　hatred　is　much　stronger　in　cold　weather；　a　theory　exemplified　by　the　assassination　of　Paul　of　Russia；　the　execution　of　Charles　of　England；　and　that　of　Louis　of　France。　Emotions；　such　as　love；　bravery；　patriotism；　etc。；　together　with　diverse　forms　of　excitement；　seem　to　augment　the　ability　of　the　human　body　to　endure　cold。

Cold　seems　to　have　little　effect　on　the　generative　function。　In　both　Sweden；　Norway；　and　other　Northern　countries　the　families　are　as　large；　if　not　larger；　than　in　other　countries。　Cold　undoubtedly　imparts　vigor；　and；　according　to　DeThou；　Henry　III　lost　his　effeminacy　and　love　of　pleasure　in　winter　and　reacquired　a　spirit　of　progress　and　reformation。　Zimmerman　has　remarked　that　in　a　rigorous　winter　the　lubberly　Hollander　is　like　the　gayest　Frenchman。　Cold　increases　appetite；　and　Plutarch　says　Brutus　experienced　intense　bulimia　while　in　the　mountains；　barely　escaping　perishing。　With　full　rations　the　Greek　soldiers　under　Xenophon　suffered　intense　hunger　as　they　traversed　the　snow…clad　mountains　of　Armenia。

Beaupre　remarks　that　those　who　have　the　misfortune　to　be　buried　under　the　snow　perish　less　quickly　than　those　who　are　exposed　to　the　open　air；　his　observations　having　been　made　during　the　retreat　of　the　French　army　from　Moscow。　In　Russia　it　is　curious　to　see　fish　frozen　stiff；　which；　after　transportation　for　great　distances；　return　to　life　when　plunged　into　cold　water。

Sudden　death　from　cold　baths　and　cold　drinks　has　been　known　for　many　centuries。　Mauriceau　mentions　death　from　cold　baptism　on　the　head；　and　Graseccus；　Scaliger；　Rush；　Schenck；　and　Velschius　mention　deaths　from　cold　drinks。　Aventii；　Fabricius　Hildanus；　the　Ephemerides；　and　Curry　relate　instances　of　a　fatal　issue　following　the　ingestion　of　cold　water　by　an　individual　in　a　superheated　condition。　Cridland　describes　a　case　of　sudden　insensibility　following　the　drinking　of　a　cold　fluid。　It　is　said　that　Alexander　the　Great　narrowly　escaped　death　from　a　constrictive　spasm；　due　to　the　fact　that　while　in　a　copious　sweat　he　plunged　into　the　river　Cydnus。　Tissot　gives　an　instance　of　a　man　dying　at　a　fountain　after　a　long　draught　on　a　hot　day。　Hippocrates　mentions　a　similar　fact；　and　there　are　many　modern　instances。

The　ordinary　effects　of　cold　on　the　skin　locally　and　the　system　generally　will　not　be　mentioned　here；　except　to　add　the　remark　of　Captain　Wood　that　in　Greenland；　among　his　party；　could　be　seen　ulcerations；　blisters；　and　other　painful　lesions　of　the　skin。　In　Siberia　the　Russian　soldiers　cover　their　noses　and　ears　with　greased　paper　to　protect　them　against　the　cold。　The　Laplanders　and　Samoiedes；　to　avoid　the　dermal　lesions　caused　by　cold　（possibly　augmented　by　the　friction　of　the　wind　and　beating　of　snow）；　anoint　their　skins　with　rancid　fish　oil；　and　are　able　to　endure　temperatures　as　low　as　…40　degrees　F。　In　the　retreat　of　the　10；000　Xenophon　ordered　all　his　soldiers　to　grease　the　parts　exposed　to　the　air。

Effects　of　Working　in　Compressed　Air。According　to　a　writer　in　Cassier's　Magazine；　the　highest　working　pressures　recorded　have　been　close　to　50　pounds　per　square　inch；　but　with　extreme　care　in　the　selection　of　men；　and　corresponding　care　on　the　part　of　the　men；　it　is　very　probable　that　this　limit　may　be　considerably　exceeded。　Under　average　conditions　the　top　limit　may　be　placed　at　about　45　pounds；　the　time　of　working；　according　to　conditions；　varying　from　four　to　six　hours　per　shift。　In　the　cases　in　which　higher　pressures　might　be　used；　the　shifts　for　the　men　should　be　restricted　to　two　of　two　hours　each；　separated　by　a　considerable　interval。　As　an　example　of　heavy　pressure　work　under　favorable　conditions　as　to　ventilation；　without　very　bad　effects　on　the　men；　Messrs。　Sooysmith　&　Company　had　an　experience　with　a　work　on　which　men　were　engaged　in　six…hour　shifts；　separated　into　two　parts　by　half…hour　intervals　for　lunch。　This　work　was　excavation　in　open；　seamy　rock；　carried　on　for　several　weeks　under　about　45　pounds　pressure。　The　character　of　the　material　through　which　the　caisson　is　being　sunk　or　upon　which　it　may　be　resting　at　any　time　bears　quite　largely　upon　the　ability　of　the　men　to　stand　the　pressure　necessary　to　hold　back　the　water　at　that　point。　If　the　material　be　so　porous　as　to　permit　a　considerable　leakage　of　air　through　it；　there　will　naturally　result　a　continuous　change　of　air　in　the　working　chamber；　and　a　corresponding　relief　of　the　men　from　the　deleterious　effects　which　are　nearly　always　produced　by　over…used　air。

From　Strasburg　in　1861　Bucuoy　reports　that　during　the　building　of　a　bridge　at　Kehl　laborers　had　to　work　in　compressed　air；　and　it　was　found　that　the　respirations　lost　their　regularity；　there　were　sometimes　intense　pains　in　the　ears；　which　after　a　while　ceased。　It　required　a　great　effort　to　speak　at　2　1/2　atmospheres；　and　it　was　impossible　to　whistle。　Perspiration　was　very　profuse。　Those　who　had　to　work　a　long　time　lost　their　appetites；　became　emaciated；　and　congestion　of　the　lung　and　brain　was　observed。　The　movements　of　the　limbs　were　easier　than　in　normal　air；　though　afterward　muscular　and　rheumatic　pains　were　often　observed。

The　peculiar　and　extraordinary　development　of　the　remaining　special　senses　when　one　of　the　number　is　lost　has　always　been　a　matter　of　great　interest。　Deaf　people　have　always　been　remarkable　for　their　acuteness　of　vision；　touch；　and　smell。　Blind　persons；　again；　almost　invariably　have　the　sense　of　hearing；　touch；　and　what　might　be　called　the　senses　of　location　and　temperature　exquisitely　developed。　This　substitution　of　the　senses　is　but；　an　example　of　the　great　law　of　compensation　which　we　find　throughout　nature。

Jonston　quotes　a　case　in　the　seventeenth　century　of　a　blind　man　who；　it　is　said；　could　tell　black　from　white　by　touch　alone；　several　other　instances　are　mentioned　in　a　chapter　entitled　〃De　compensatione　naturae　monstris　facta。〃　It　must；　however；　be　held　impossible　that　blind　people　can　thus　distinguish　colors　in　any　proper　sense　of　the　words。　Different　colored　yarns；　for　example；　may　have　other　differences　of　texture；　etc。；　that　would　be　manifest　to　the　sense　of　touch。　We　know　of　one　case　in　which　the　different　colors　were　accurately　distinguished　by　a　blind　girl；　but　only　when　located　in　customary　and　definite　positions。　Le　Cat　speaks　of　a　blind　organist；　a　native　of　Holland；　who　still　played　the　organ　as　well　as