anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第107部分

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ished　his　task　in　less　than　ten　minutes；　and　without　the　aid　of　pencil　and　paper；　solving　the　whole　problem　mentally。　Although　not　looking　intelligent；　and　not　being　able　to　read　or　write；　he　perhaps　could　surpass　any　one　in　the　world　in　his　particular　feat。　It　was　stated　that　he　proceeded　from　left　to　right　in　his　calculations；　instead　of　from　right　to　left　in　the　usual　manner。　In　his　personal　appearance　the　only　thing　indicative　of　his　wonderful　abilities　was　his　high　forehead。

An　infant　prodigy　named　Oscar　Moore　was　exhibited　to　the　physicians　of　Chicago　at　the　Central　Music　Hall　in　1888；　and　excited　considerable　comment　at　the　time。　The　child　was　born　of　mulatto　parents　at　Waco；　Texas；　on　August　19；　1885；　and　when　only　thirteen　months　old　manifested　remarkable　mental　ability　and　precocity。　S。　V。　Clevenger；　a　physician　of　Chicago；　has　described　the　child　as　follows：

〃Oscar　was　born　blind　and；　as　frequently　occurs　in　such　cases；　the　touch…sense　compensatingly　developed　extraordinarily。　It　was　observed　that　after　touching　a　person　once　or　twice　with　his　stubby　baby　fingers；　he　could　thereafter　unfailingly　recognize　and　call　by　name　the　one　whose　hand　he　again　felt。　The　optic　sense　is　the　only　one　defective；　for　tests　reveal　that　his　hearing；　taste；　and　smell　are　acute；　and　the　tactile　development　surpasses　in　refinement。　But　his　memory　is　the　most　remarkable　peculiarity；　for　when　his　sister　conned　her　lessons　at　home；　baby　Oscar；　less　than　two　years　old；　would　recite　all　he　heard　her　read。　Unlike　some　idiot　savants；　in　which　category　he　is　not　to　be　included；　who　repeat　parrot…like　what　they　have　once　heard；　baby　Oscar　seems　to　digest　what　he　hears；　and　requires　at　least　more　than　one　repetition　of　what　he　is　trying　to　remember；　after　which　he　possesses　the　information　imparted　and　is　able　to　yield　it　at　once　when　questioned。　It　is　not　necessary　for　him　to　commence　at　the　beginning；　as　the　possessors　of　some　notable　memories　were　compelled　to　do；　but　he　skips　about　to　any　required　part　of　his　repertoire。

〃He　sings　a　number　of　songs　and　counts　in　different　languages；　but　it　is　not　supposable　that　he　understands　every　word　he　utters。　If；　however；　his　understanding　develops　as　it　promises　to　do；　he　will　become　a　decided　polyglot。　He　has　mastered　an　appalling　array　of　statistics；　such　as　the　areas　in　square　miles　of　hundreds　of　countries；　the　population　of　the　world's　principal　cities；　the　birthdays　of　all　the　Presidents；　the　names　of　all　the　cities　of　the　United　States　of　over　10；000　inhabitants；　and　a　lot　of　mathematical　data。　He　is　greatly　attracted　by　music；　and　this　leads　to　the　expectation　that　when　more　mature　he　may　rival　Blind　Tom。

〃In　disposition　he　is　very　amiable；　but　rather　grave　beyond　his　years。　He　shows　great　affection　for　his　father；　and　is　as　playful　and　as　happy　as　the　ordinary　child。　He　sleeps　soundly；　has　a　good　childish　appetite；　and　appears　to　be　in　perfect　health。　His　motions　are　quick　but　not　nervous；　and　are　as　well　coordinated　as　in　a　child　of　ten。　In　fact；　he　impresses　one　as　having　the　intelligence　of　a　much　older　child　than　three　years　（now　five　years）；　but　his　height；　dentition；　and　general　appearance　indicate　the　truthfulness　of　the　age　assigned。　An　evidence　of　his　symmetrical　mental　development　appears　in　his　extreme　inquisitiveness。　He　wants　to　understand　the　meaning　of　what　he　is　taught；　and　some　kind　of　an　explanation　must　be　given　him　for　what　he　learns。　Were　his　memory　alone　abnormally　great　and　other　faculties　defective；　this　would　hardly　be　the　case；　but　if　so；　it　cannot　at　present　be　determined。

〃His　complexion　is　yellow；　with　African　features；　flat　nose；　thick　lips　but　not　prognathous；　superciliary　ridges　undeveloped；　causing　the　forehead　to　protrude　a　little。　His　head　measures　19　inches　in　circumference；　on　a　line　with　the　upper　ear…tips；　the　forehead　being　much　narrower　than　the　occipitoparietal　portion；　which　is　noticeably　very　wide。　The　occiput　protrudes　backward；　causing　a　forward　sweep　of　the　back　of　the　neck。　From　the　nose…root　to　the　nucha　over　the　head　he　measures　13　1/2　inches；　and　between　upper　ear…　tips　across　and　over　the　head　11　inches；　which　is　so　close　to　the　eight…and　ten…inch　standard　that　he　may　be　called　mesocephalic。　The　bulging　in　the　vicinity　of　the　parietal　region　accords　remarkably　with　speculations　upon　the　location　of　the　auditory　memory　in　that　region；　such　as　those　in　the　American　Naturalist；　July；　1888；　and　the　fact　that　injury　of　that　part　of　the　brain　may　cause　loss　of　memory　of　the　meaning　of　words。　It　may　be　that　the　premature　death　of　the　mother's　children　has　some　significance　in　connection　with　Oscar's　phenomenal　development。　There　is　certainly　a　hypernutrition　of　the　parietal　brain　with　atrophy　of　the　optic　tract；　both　of　which　conditions　could　arise　from　abnormal　vascular　causes；　or　the　extra　growth　of　the　auditory　memory　region　may　have　deprived　of　nutrition；　by　pressure；　the　adjacent　optic　centers　in　the　occipital　brain。　The　otherwise　normal　motion　of　the　eyes　indicates　the　nystagmus　to　be　functional。

〃Sudden　exaltation　of　the　memory　is　often　the　consequence　of　grave　brain　disease；　and　in　children　this　symptom　is　most　frequent。　Pritchard；　Rush；　and　other　writers　upon　mental　disorders　record　interesting　instances　of　remarkable　memory…increase　before　death；　mainly　in　adults；　and　during　fever　and　insanity。　In　simple　mania　the　memory　is　often　very　acute。　Romberg　tells　of　a　young　girl　who　lost　her　sight　after　an　attack　of　small…pox；　but　acquired　an　extraordinary　memory。　He　calls　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　scrofulous　and　rachitic　diatheses　in　childhood　are　sometimes　accompanied　by　this　disorder。　Winslow　notes　that　in　the　incipient　state　of　the　brain　disease　of　early　life　connected　with　fevers；　disturbed　conditions　of　the　cerebral　circulation　and　vessels；　and　in　affections　of　advanced　life；　there　is　often　witnessed　a　remarkable　exaltation　of　the　memory；　which　may　herald　death　by　apoplexy。

〃Not　only　has　the　institution　of　intelligence　in　idiots　dated　from　falls　upon　the　head；　but　extra　mentality　has　been　conferred　by　such　an　event　Pritchard　tells　of　three　idiot　brothers；　one　of　whom；　after　a　severe　head　injury；　brightened　up　and　became　a　barrister；　while　his　brothers　remained　idiotic。　'Father　Mabillon；'　says　Winslow；　'is　said　to　have　been　an　idiot　until　twenty…　six　years　of　age；　when　he　fractured　his　skull　against　a　stone　staircase。　He　was　trepanned。　After　recovering；　his　intellect　fully　developed　itself　in　a　mind　endowed　with　a　lively　imagination；　an　amazing　memory；　and　a　zeal　for　study　rarely　equaled。'　Such　instances　can　be　accounted　for　by　the　brain　having　previously　been　poorly　nourished　by　a　defective　blood　supply；　which　defect　was　remedied　by　the　increased　circulation　afforded　by　the　head…injury。

〃It　is　a　commonly　known　fact　that　activity　of　the　brain　is　attended　with　a　greater　head…circulation　than　when　the　mind　is　dull；　within　certain　limits。　Anomalous　development　of　the　brain　through　blood…vessels；　affording　an　extra　nutritive　supply　to　the　mental　apparatus；　can　readily　be　conceived　as　occurring　before　birth；　just　as　aberrant　nutrition　elsewhere　produces　giants　from　parents　of　ordinary　size。

〃There　is　but　one　sense…defect　in　the　child　Oscar；　his　eyesight…absence；　and　that　is　atoned　for　by　his　hearing　and　touch…acuteness；　as　it　generally　is　in　the　blind。　Spitzka　and　others　demonstrate　that　in　such　cases　other　parts　of　the　brain　enlarge　to　compensate　for　the　atrophic　portion　which　is　connected　with　the　functionless　nerves。　This；　considered　with　his　apparently　perfect；　mental　and　physical　health；　leaves　no　reason　to　suppose　that　Oscar's　extravagant　memory　depends　upon　disease　any　more　than　we　can　suspect　all　giants　of　being　sickly；　though　the　anomaly　is　doubtless　due　to　pathologic　conditions。　Of　course；　there　is　no　predicting　what　may　develop　later　in　his　life；　but　in　any　event　science　will　be　benefited。

〃It　is　a　popular　idea　that　great　vigor　of　memory　is　often　associated　with　low…grade　intelligence；　and　cases　such　as　Blind　Tom　and　other　'idiot　savants；'　who　could　repeat　the　contents　of　a　newspaper　after　a　single　reading；　justify　the　supposition。　Fearon；　on　'Mental　Vigor；'　tells　of　a　man　who　could　remember　the　day　that　every　person　had　been　buried　in　the　parish　for　thirty…five　years；　and　could　repeat　with　unvarying　accuracy　the　name　and　age　of　the　deceased　and　the　mourners　at　the　funeral。　But　he　was　a　complete　fool。　Out　of　the　line　of　burials　he　had　not　one　idea；　could　not　give　an　intelligible　reply　to　a　single　question；　nor　be　trusted　even　to　feed　himself。　While　memory…development　is　thus　apparent　in　some　otherwise　defective　intellects；　it　has　probably　as　often　or　oftener　been　observed　to　occur　in　connection　with　full　or　great　intelligence。　Edmund　Burke；　Clarendon；　John　Locke；　Archbishop　Tillotson；　and　Dr。　Johnson　were　all　distinguished　for　having　great　strength　of　memory。　Sir　W。　Hamilton　observed　that　Grotius；　Pascal；　Leibnitz；　and　Euler　were　not　less　celebrated　for　their　intelligence　than　for　their　memory。　Ben　Jonson　could　repeat　all　that　he　had　written　and　whole　books　he　had　read。　Themistocles　could　call　by　name　the　20；000　citizens　of　Athens。　Cyrus　is　said　to　have　known　the　name　of　every　soldier　in　his　army。　Hortensius；　a　great　Roman　orator；　and　Seneca　had　also　great　memories。　Niebuhr；　the　Danish　historian；　was　remarkable　for　his　acuteness　of　memory。　Sir　James　Mackintosh；　Dugald　Stewart；　and　Dr。　Gregory　had　similar　reputations。

〃Nor　does　great　mental　endowment　entail　physical　enfeeblement；　for；　with　temperance；　literary　men　have　reached　extreme　old　age；　as　in　the　cases　of　Klopstock；　Goethe；　Chaucer；　and　the　average　age　attained　by　all　the　signers　of　the　American　Declaration　of　Independence　was　sixty…four　years；　many　of　them　being　highly　gifted　men　intellectually。　Thus；　in　the　case　of　the　phenomenal　Oscar　it　cannot　be　predicted　that　he　will　not　develop；　as　he　now　promises　to　do；　equal　and　extraordinary　powers　of　mind；　even　though　it　would　be　rare　in　one　of　his　racial　descent；　and　in　the　face　of　the　fact　that　precocity　gives　no　assurance　of　adult　brightness；　for　it　can　be　urged　that　John　Stuart　Mill　read　Greek　when　four　years　of　age。

〃The　child　is　strumous；　however；　and　may　die　young。　His　exhibitors；　who　are　coining　him　into