anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第111部分

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less　wonderful；　exemplifying　as　they　do　the　degree　of　precision　that　the　eye　may　attain　and　the　control　which　may　be　developed　over　the　nerves　and　muscles。　The　authors　know　of　a　countryman　who　successfully　hunted　squirrels　and　small　game　by　means　of　pebbles　thrown　with　his　hand。

Physiologic　wonders　are　to　be　found　in　all　our　modern　sports　and　games。　In　billiards；　base…ball；　cricket；　tennis；　etc。；　there　are　experts　who　are　really　physiologic　curiosities。　In　the　trades　and　arts　we　see　development　of　the　special　senses　that　is　little　less　than　marvelous。　It　is　said　that　there　are　workmen　in　Krupp's　gun　factory　in　Germany　who　have　such　control　over　the　enormous　trip　hammers　that　they　can　place　a　watch　under　one　and　let　the　hammer　fall；　stopping　it　with　unerring　precision　just　on　the　crystal。　An　expert　tool　juggler　in　one　of　the　great　English　needle　factories；　in　a　recent　test　of　skill；　performed　one　of　the　most　delicate　mechanical　feats　imaginable。　He　took　a　common　sewing　needle　of　medium　size　（length　1　5/8　inches）　and　drilled　a　hole　through　its　entire　length　from　eye　to　pointthe　opening　being　just　large　enough　to　admit　the　passage　of　a　very　fine　hair。　Another　workman　in　a　watch…factory　of　the　United　States　drilled　a　hole　through　a　hair　of　his　beard　and　ran　a　fiber　of　silk　through　it。

Ventriloquists；　or　〃two…voiced　men；〃　are　interesting　anomalies　of　the　present　day；　it　is　common　to　see　a　person　who　possesses　the　power　of　speaking　with　a　voice　apparently　from　the　epigastrium。　Some　acquire　this　faculty；　while　with　others　it　is　due　to　a　natural　resonance；　formed；　according　to　Dupont；　in　the　space　between　the　third　and　fourth　ribs　and　their　cartilaginous　union　and　the　middle　of　the　first　portion　of　the　sternum。　Examination　of　many　of　these　cases　proves　that　the　vibration　is　greatest　here。　It　is　certain　that　ventriloquists　have　existed　for　many　centuries。　It　is　quite　possible　that　some　of　the　old　Pagan　oracles　were　simply　the　deceptions　of　priests　by　means　of　ventriloquism。

Dupont；　Surgeon…in…chief　of　the　French　Army　about　a　century　since；　examined　minutely　an　individual　professing　to　be　a　ventriloquist。　With　a　stuffed　fox　on　his　lap　near　his　epigastrium；　he　imitated　a　conversation　with　the　fox。　By　lying　on　his　belly；　and　calling　to　some　one　supposed　to　be　below　the　surface　of　the　ground；　he　would　imitate　an　answer　seeming　to　come　from　the　depths　of　the　earth。　With　his　belly　on　the　ground　he　not　only　made　the　illusion　more　complete；　but　in　this　way　he　smothered　〃the　epigastric　voice。〃

He　was　always　noticed　to　place　the　inanimate　objects　with　which　he　held　conversations　near　his　umbilicus。

Ventriloquists　must　not　be　confounded　with　persons　who　by　means　of　skilful　mechanisms；　creatures　with　movable　fauces；　etc。；　imitate　ventriloquism。　The　latter　class　are　in　no　sense　of　the　word　true　ventriloquists；　but　simulate　the　anomaly　by　quickly　changing　the　tones　of　their　voice　in　rapid　succession；　and　thus　seem　to　make　their　puppets　talk　in　many　different　voices。　After　having　acquired　the　ability　to　suddenly　change　the　tone　of　their　voice；　they　practice　imitations　of　the　voices　of　the　aged；　of　children；　dialects；　and　feminine　tones；　and；　with　a　set　of　mechanical　puppets；　are　ready　to　appear　as　ventriloquists。　By　contraction　of　the　pharyngeal　and　laryngeal　muscles　they　also　imitate　tones　from　a　distance。　Some　give　their　performance　with　little　labial　movement；　but　close　inspection　of　the　ordinary　performer　of　this　class　shows　visible　movements　of　his　lips。　The　true　ventriloquist　pretends　only　to　speak　from　the　belly　and　needs　no　mechanical　assistance。

The　wonderful　powers　of　mimicry　displayed　by　expert　ventriloquists　are　marvelous；　they　not　only　imitate　individuals　and　animals；　but　do　not　hesitate　to　imitate　a　conglomeration　of　familiar　sounds　and　noises　in　such　a　manner　as　to　deceive　their　listeners　into　believing　that　they　hear　the　discussions　of　an　assemblage　of　people。　The　following　description　of　an　imitation　of　a　domestic　riot　by　a　Chinese　ventriloquist　is　given　by　the　author　of　〃The　Chinaman　at　Home〃　and　well　illustrates　the　extent　of　their　abilities：　〃The　ventriloquist　was　seated　behind　a　screen；　where　there　were　only　a　chair；　a　table；　a　fan；　and　a　ruler。　With　this　ruler　he　rapped　on　the　table　to　enforce　silence；　and　when　everybody　had　ceased　speaking　there　was　suddenly　heard　the　barking　of　a　dog。　Then　we　heard　the　movements　of　a　woman。　She　had　been　waked　by　the　dog　and　was　shaking　her　husband。　We　were　just　expecting　to　hear　the　man　and　wife　talking　together　when　a　child　began　to　cry。　To　pacify　it　the　mother　gave　it　food；　we　could　hear　it　drinking　and　crying　at　the　same　time。　The　mother　spoke　to　it　soothingly　and　then　rose　to　change　its　clothes。　Meanwhile　another　child　had　wakened　and　was　beginning　to　make　a　noise。　The　father　scolded　it；　while　the　baby　continued　crying。　By…and…by　the　whole　family　went　back　to　bed　and　fell　asleep。　The　patter　of　a　mouse　was　heard。　It　climbed　up　some　vase　and　upset　it。　We　heard　the　clatter　of　the　vase　as　it　fell。　The　woman　coughed　in　her　sleep。　Then　cries　of　〃Fire！　fire！〃　were　heard。　The　mouse　had　upset　the　lamp；　the　bed　curtains　were　on　fire。　The　husband　and　wife　waked　up；　shouted；　and　screamed；　the　children　cried；　people　came　running　and　shouting。　Children　cried；　dogs　barked；　squibs　and　crackers　exploded。　The　fire　brigade　came　racing　up。　Water　was　pumped　up　in　torrents　and　hissed　in　the　flames。　The　representation　was　so　true　to　life　that　every　one　rose　to　his　feet　and　was　starting　away　when　a　second　blow　of　the　ruler　on　the　table　commanded　silence。　We　rushed　behind　the　screen；　but　there　was　nothing　there　except　the　ventriloquist；　his　table；　his　chair；　and　his　ruler。〃

Athletic　Feats。The　ancients　called　athletes　those　who　were　noted　for　their　extraordinary　agility；　force；　and　endurance。　The　history　of　athletics　is　not　foreign　to　that　of　medicine；　but；　on　the　contrary；　the　two　are　in　many　ways　intimately　blended。　The　instances　of　feats　of　agility　and　endurance　are　in　every　sense　of　the　word　examples　of　physiologic　and　functional　anomalies；　and　have　in　all　times　excited　the　interest　and　investigation　of　capable　physicians。

The　Greeks　were　famous　for　their　love　of　athletic　pastimes；　and　classical　study　serves　powerfully　to　strengthen　the　belief　that　no　institution　exercised　greater　influence　than　the　public　contests　of　Greece　in　molding　national　character　and　producing　that　admirable　type　of　personal　and　intellectual　beauty　that　we　see　reflected　in　her　art　and　literature。　These　contests　were　held　at　four　national　festivals；　the　Olympian；　the　Pythian；　the　Nemean；　and　the　Isthmean　games。　On　these　occasions　every　one　stopped　labor；　truce　was　declared　between　the　States；　and　the　whole　country　paid　tribute　to　the　contestants　for　the　highly…prized　laurels　of　these　games。　Perhaps　the　enthusiasm　shown　in　athletics　and　interest　in　physical　development　among　the　Greeks　has　never　been　equaled　by　any　other　people。　Herodotus　and　all　the　Greek　writers　to　Plutarch　have　elaborated　on　the　glories　of　the　Greek　athlete；　and　tell　us　of　the　honors　rendered　to　the　victors　by　the　spectators　and　the　vanquished；　dwelling　with　complacency　on　the　fact　that　in　accepting　the　laurel　they　cared　for　nothing　but　honor。　The　Romans　in　〃ludi　publici；〃　as　they　called　their　games；　were　from　first　to　last　only　spectators；　but　in　Greece　every　eligible　person　was　an　active　participant。　In　the　regimen　of　diet　and　training　the　physicians　from　the　time　of　Hippocrates；　and　even　before；　have　been　the　originators　and　professional　advisers　of　the　athlete。　The　change　in　the　manner　of　living　of　athletes；　if　we　can　judge　from　the　writings　of　Hippocrates；　was　anterior　to　his　time；　for　in　Book　V　of　the　〃Epidemics〃　we　read　of　Bias；　who；　〃suapte　nature　vorax；　in　choleram…morbum　incidit　ex　carnium　esu；　praecipueque　suillarum　crudarum；　etc。〃

From　the　time　of　the　well…known　fable　of　the　hero　who；　by　practicing　daily　from　his　birth；　was　able　to　lift　a　full…grown　bull；　thus　gradually　accustoming　himself　to　the　increased　weight；　physiologists　and　scientists　have　collaborated　with　the　athlete　in　evolving　the　present　ideas　and　system　of　training。　In　his　aphorisms　Hippocrates　bears　witness　to　the　dangers　of　over…　exercise　and　superabundant　training；　and　Galen　is　particularly　averse　to　an　art　which　so　preternaturally　develops　the　constitution　and　nature　of　man；　many　subsequent　medical　authorities　believed　that　excessive　development　of　the　human　frame　was　necessarily　followed　by　a　compensatory　shortening　of　life。

The　foot…race　was　the　oldest　of　the　Greek　institutions；　and　in　the　first　of　the　Olympiads　the　〃dromos；〃　a　course　of　about　200　yards；　was　the　only　contest；　but　gradually　the　〃dialos；〃　in　which　the　course　was　double　that　of　the　dromos；　was　introduced；　and；　finally；　tests　of　endurance　as　well　as　speed　were　instituted　in　the　long…distance　races　and　the　contests　of　racing　in　heavy　armor；　which　were　so　highly　commended　by　Plato　as　preparation　for　the　arduous　duties　of　a　soldier。　Among　the　Greeks　we　read　of　Lasthenes　the　Theban；　who　vanquished　a　horse　in　the　course；　of　Polymnestor；　who　chased　and　caught　a　hare；　and　Philonides；　the　courier　of　Alexander　the　Great；　who　in　nine　hours　traversed　the　distance　between　the　Greek　cities　Sicyone　and　Elis；　a　distance　of　over　150　miles。　We　read　of　the　famous　soldier　of　Marathon；　who　ran　to　announce　the　victory　to　the　Magistrates　of　Athens　and　fell　dead　at　their　feet。　In　the　Olympian　games　at　Athens　in　1896　this　distance　（about　26　miles）　was　traversed　in　less　than　three　hours。

It　is　said　of　Euchidas；　who　carried　the　fire　necessary　for　the　sacrifices　which　were　to　replace　those　which　the　Persians　had　spoiled；　that　he　ran　a　thousand　stadia　（about　125　miles）　and　fell　dead　at　the　end　of　his　mission。　The　Roman　historians　have　also　recited　the　extraordinary　feats　of　the　couriers　of　their　times。　Pliny　speaks　of　an　athlete　who　ran　235　kilometers　（almost　150　miles）　without　once　stopping。　He　also　mentions　a　child　who　ran　almost　half　this　distance。

In　the　Middle　Ages　the　Turks　had　couriers　of　almost　supernatural　agility　and　endurance。　It　is　said　that　the　distance　some　of　them　would　traverse　in　twenty…four　hours　was　120　miles；　and　that　it　was　common　for　them　to　make　the　round　trip　from　Constantinople　to　Adrianople；　a　distance　of　8