anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第114部分

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and　put　the　rest　to　flight。　At　another　time　during　the　night　he　transported　from　the　village　of　Gaza　enormous　burdens　and　placed　them　on　the　top　of　a　mountain。　Betrayed　by　Delilah；　he　was　delivered　into　the　hands　of　his　enemies　and　employed　in　the　most　servile　labors。　When　old　and　blind　he　was　attached　to　the　columns　of　an　edifice　to　serve　as　an　object　of　public　ridicule；　with　a　violent　effort　he　overturned　the　columns；　destroying　himself　and　3000　Philistines。

In　the　Greek　mythology　we　find　a　great　number　of　heroes；　celebrated　for　their　feats　of　strength　and　endurance。　Many　of　them　have　received　the　name　of　Hercules；　but　the　most　common　of　these　is　the　hero　who　was　supposed　to　be　the　son　of　Jupiter　and　Alemena。　He　was　endowed　with　prodigious　strength　by　his　father；　and　was　pursued　with　unrelenting　hatred　by　Juno。　In　his　infancy　he　killed　with　his　hands　the　serpents　which　were　sent　to　devour　him。　The　legends　about　him　are　innumerable。　He　was　said　to　have　been　armed　with　a　massive　club；　which　only　he　was　able　to　carry。　The　most　famous　of　his　feats　were　the　twelve　labors；　with　which　all　readers　of　mythology　are　familiar。　Hercules；　personified；　meant　to　the　Greeks　physical　force　as　well　as　strength；　generosity；　and　bravery；　and　was　equivalent　to　the　Assyrian　Hercules。　The　Gauls　had　a　Hercules…Pantopage；　who；　in　addition　to　the　ordinary　qualities　attributed　to　Hercules；　had　an　enormous　appetite。

As　late　as　the　sixteenth　century；　and　in　a　most　amusing　and　picturesque　manner；　Rabelais　has　given　us　the　history　of　Gargantua；　and　even　to　this　day；　in　some　regions；　there　are　groups　of　stones　which　are　believed　by　ignorant　people　to　have　been　thrown　about　by　Gargantua　in　his　play。　In　their　citations　the　older　authors　often　speak　of　battles；　and　in　epic　ballads　of　heroes　with　marvelous　strength。　In　the　army　of　Charlemagne；　after　Camerarius；　and　quoted　by　Guyot…Daubes　（who　has　made　an　extensive　collection　of　the　literature　on　this　subject　and　to　whom　the　authors　are　indebted　for　much　information）；　there　was　found　a　giant　named　Oenother；　a　native　of　a　village　in　Suabia；　who　performed　marvelous　feats　of　strength。　In　his　history　of　Bavaria　Aventin　speaks　of　this　monster。　To　Roland；　the　nephew　of　Charlemagne；　the　legends　attributed　prodigious　strength；　and；　dying　in　the　valley　of　Roncesveaux；　he　broke　his　good　sword　〃Durandal〃　by　striking　it　against　a　rock；　making　a　breach；　which　is　stilled　called　the　〃Breche　de　Roland。〃　Three　years　before　his　death；　on　his　return　from　Palestine；　Christopher；　Duke　of　Bavaria；　was　said　to　have　lifted　to　his　shoulders　a　stone　which　weighed　more　than　340　pounds。　Louis　de　Boufflers；　surnamed　the　〃Robust；〃　who　lived　in　1534；　was　noted　for　his　strength　and　agility。　When　he　placed　his　feet　together；　one　against　the　other；　he　could　find　no　one　able　to　disturb　them。　He　could　easily　bend　and　break　a　horseshoe　with　his　hands；　and　could　seize　an　ox　by　the　tail　and　drag　it　against　its　will。　More　than　once　he　was　said　to　have　carried　a　horse　on　his　shoulders。　According　to　Guyot…Daubes　there　was；　in　the　last　century；　a　Major　Barsaba　who　could　seize　the　limb　of　a　horse　and　fracture　its　bone。　There　was　a　tale　of　his　lifting　an　iron　anvil；　in　a　blacksmith's　forge；　and　placing　it　under　his　coat。

To　the　Emperor　Maximilian　I　was　ascribed　enormous　strength；　even　in　his　youth；　when　but　a　simple　patriot；　he　vanquished；　at　the　games　given　by　Severus；　16　of　the　most　vigorous　wrestlers；　and　accomplished　this　feat　without　stopping　for　breath。　It　is　said　that　this　feat　was　the　origin　of　his　fortune。　Among　other　celebrated　persons　in　history　endowed　with　uncommon　strength　were　Edmund　〃Ironsides；〃　King　of　England；　the　Caliph　Mostasem…Billah；　Baudouin；　〃Bras…de…Fer；〃　Count　of　Flanders；　William　IV；　called　by　the　French　〃Fier…a…Bras；〃　Duke　of　Aquitaine；　Christopher；　son　of　Albert　the　Pious；　Duke　of　Bavaria；　Godefroy　of　Bouillon；　the　Emperor　Charles　IV；　Scanderbeg；　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　Marshal　Saxe；　and　the　recently　deceased　Czar　of　Russia；　Alexander　III。

Turning　now　to　the　authentic　modern　Hercules；　we　have　a　man　by　the　name　of　Eckeberg；　born　in　Anhalt；　and　who　traveled　under　the　name　of　〃Samson。〃　He　was　exhibited　in　London；　and　performed　remarkable　feats　of　strength。　He　was　observed　by　the　celebrated　Desaguliers　（a　pupil　of　Newton）　in　the　commencement　of　the　last　century；　who　at　that　time　was　interested　in　the　physiologic　experiments　of　strength　and　agility。　Desaguliers　believed　that　the　feats　of　this　new　Samson　were　more　due　to　agility　than　strength。　One　day；　accompanied　by　two　of　his　confreres；　although　a　man　of　ordinary　strength；　he　duplicated　some　of　Samson's　feats；　and　followed　his　performance　by　a　communication　to　the　Royal　Society。　One　of　his　tricks　was　to　resist　the　strength　of　five　or　six　men　or　of　two　horses。　Desaguliers　claimed　that　this　was　entirely　due　to　the　position　taken。　This　person　would　lift　a　man　by　one　foot；　and　bear　a　heavy　weight　on　his　chest　when　resting　with　his　head　and　two　feet　on　two　chairs。　By　supporting　himself　with　his　arms　he　could　lift　a　piece　of　cannon　attached　to　his　feet。

A　little　later　Desaguliers　studied　an　individual　in　London　named　Thomas　Topham；　who　used　no　ruse　in　his　feats　and　was　not　the　skilful　equilibrist　that　the　German　Samson　was；　his　performances　being　merely　the　results　of　abnormal　physical　force。　He　was　about　thirty　years　old；　five　feet　ten　inches　in　height　and　well　proportioned；　and　his　muscles　well　developed；　the　strong　ligaments　showing　under　the　skin。　He　ignored　entirely　the　art　of　appearing　supernaturally　strong；　and　some　of　his　feats　were　rendered　difficult　by　disadvantageous　positions。　In　the　feat　of　the　Germanresisting　the　force　of　several　men　or　horsesTopham　exhibited　no　knowledge　of　the　principles　of　physics；　like　that　of　his　predecessor；　but；　seated　on　the　ground　and　putting　his　feet　against　two　stirrups；　he　was　able　to　resist　the　traction　of　a　single　horse；　when　he　attempted　the　same　feat　against　two　horses　he　was　severely　strained　and　wounded　about　the　knees。　According　to　Desaguliers；　if　Topham　had　taken　the　advantageous　positions　of　the　German　Samson；　he　could　have　resisted　not　only　two；　but　four　horses。　On　another　occasion；　with　the　aid　of　a　bridle　passed　about　his　neck；　he　lifted　three　hogsheads　full　of　water；　weighing　1386　pounds。　If　he　had　utilized　the　force　of　his　limbs　and　his　loins；　like　the　German；　he　would　have　been　able　to　perform　far　more　difficult　feats。　With　his　teeth　he　could　lift　and　maintain　in　a　horizontal　position　a　table　over　six　feet　long；　at　the　extremity　of　which　he　would　put　some　weight。　Two　of　the　feet　of　the　table　he　rested　on　his　knees。　He　broke　a　cord　five　cm。　in　diameter；　one　part　of　which　was　attached　to　a　post　and　the　other　to　a　strap　passed　under　his　shoulder。　He　was　able　to　carry　in　his　hands　a　rolling…pin　weighing　800　pounds；　about　twice　the　weight　a　strong　man　is　considered　able　to　lift。

Tom　Johnson　was　another　strong　man　who　lived　in　London　in　the　last　century；　but　he　was　not　an　exhibitionist；　like　his　predecessors。　He　was　a　porter　on　the　banks　of　the　Thames；　his　duty　being　to　carry　sacks　of　wheat　and　corn　from　the　wharves　to　the　warehouses。　It　was　said　that　when　one　of　his　comrades　was　ill；　and　could　not　provide　support　for　his　wife　and　children；　Johnson　assumed　double　duty；　carrying　twice　the　load。　He　could　seize　a　sack　of　wheat；　and　with　it　execute　the　movements　of　a　club…swinger；　and　with　as　great　facility。　He　became　quite　a　celebrated　boxer；　and；　besides　his　strength；　he　soon　demonstrated　his　powers　of　endurance；　never　seeming　fatigued　after　a　lively　bout。　The　porters　of　Paris　were　accustomed　to　lift　and　carry　on　their　shoulders　bags　of　flour　weighing　159　kilograms　（350　pounds）　and　to　mount　stairs　with　them。　Johnson；　on　hearing　this；　duplicated　the　feat　with　three　sacks；　and　on　one　occasion　attempted　to　carry　four；　and　resisted　this　load　some　little　time。　These　four　sacks　weighed　1400　pounds。

Some　years　since　there　was　a　female　Hercules　who　would　get　on　her　hands　and　knees　under　a　carriage　containing　six　people；　and；　forming　an　arch　with　her　body；　she　would　lift　it　off　the　ground；　an　attendant　turning　the　wheels　while　in　the　air　to　prove　that　they　were　clear　from　the　ground。

Guyot…Daubes　considers　that　one　of　the　most　remarkable　of　all　the　men　noted　for　their　strength　was　a　butcher　living　in　the　mountains　of　Margeride；　known　as　Lapiada　（the　extraordinary）。　This　man；　whose　strength　was　legendary　in　the　neighboring　country；　one　day　seized　a　mad　bull　that　had　escaped　from　his　stall　and　held　him　by　the　horns　until　his　attendants　could　bind　him。　For　amusement　he　would　lie　on　his　belly　and　allow　several　men　to　get　on　his　back；　with　this　human　load　he　would　rise　to　the　erect　position。　One　of　Lapiada's　great　feats　was　to　get　under　a　cart　loaded　with　hay　and；　forming　an　arch　with　his　body；　raise　it　from　the　ground；　then　little　by　little　he　would　mount　to　his　haunches；　still　holding　the　cart　and　hay。　Lapiada　terminated　his　Herculean　existence　in　attempting　a　mighty　effort。　Having　charged　himself　alone　with　the　task　of　placing　a　heavy　tree…trunk　in　a　cart；　he　seized　it；　his　muscles　stiffened；　but　the　blood　gushed　from　his　mouth　and　nostrils；　and　he　fell；　overcome　at　last。　The　end　of　Lapiada　presents　an　analogue　to　that　of　the　celebrated　athlete；　Polydamas；　who　was　equally　the　victim　of　too　great　confidence　in　his　muscular　force；　and　who　died　crushed　by　the　force　that　he　hoped　to　maintain。　Figures　181　and　183　portray　the　muscular　development　of　an　individual　noted　for　his　feats　of　strength；　and　who　exhibited　not　long　since。

In　recent　years　we　have　had　Sebastian　Miller；　whose　specialty　was　wrestling　and　stone…breaking；　Samson；　a　recent　English　exhibitionist；　Louis　Cyr；　and　Sandow；　who；　in　addition　to　his　remarkable　strength　and　control　over　his　muscles；　is　a　very　clever　gymnast。　Sandow　gives　an　excellent　exposition　of　the　so…called　〃checkerboard　〃arrangement　of　the　muscular　fibers　of　the　lower　thoracic　and　abdominal　regions；　and　in　a　brilliant　light　demonstrates　his　extraordinary　power　over　his　muscles；　contracting　muscles　ordinarily　involuntary　in　time　with　music；　a　feat　really　more　remarkable　than　his　exhibition　of　strength。　Figures　182　and　184　show　the　beautiful　muscular　development　of　this　remarkable　man。

Joseph　Pospischilli；　a　convict　r