anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第39部分

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　children20　girls　and　2　boys。　He　also　has　about　50　grand…children。　The　case　is　well　authenticated。〃

We　also　quote　the　following；　accredited　to　the　〃Annals　of　Hygiene：〃

〃Were　it　not　part　of　the　records　of　the　Berks　County　courts；　we　could　hardly　credit　the　history　of　John　Heffner；　who　was　accidentally　killed　some　years　ago　at　the　age　of　sixty…nine。　He　was　married　first　in　1840。　In　eight　years　his　wife　bore　him　17　children。　The　first　and　second　years　of　their　marriage　she　gave　birth　to　twins。　For　four　successive　years　afterward　she　gave　birth　to　triplets。　In　the　seventh　year　she　gave　birth　to　one　child　and　died　soon　afterward。　Heffner　engaged　a　young　woman　to　look　after　his　large　brood　of　babies；　and　three　months　later　she　became　the　second　Mrs。　Heffner。　She　presented　her　husband　with　2　children　in　the　first　two　years　of　her　wedded　life。　Five　years　later　she　had　added　10　more　to　the　family；　having　twins　5　times。　Then　for　three　years　she　added　but　1　a　year。　At　the　time　of　the　death　of　the　second　wife　12　of　the　32　children　had　died。　The　20　that　were　left　did　not　appear　to　be　any　obstacle　to　a　young　widow　with　one　child　consenting　to　become　the　third　wife　of　the　jolly　little　man；　for　he　was　known　as　one　of　the　happiest　and　most　genial　of　men；　although　it　kept　him　toiling　like　a　slave　to　keep　a　score　of　mouths　in　bread。　The　third　Mrs。　Heffner　became　the　mother　of　9　children　in　ten　years；　and　the　contentment　and　happiness　of　the　couple　were　proverbial。　One　day；　in　the　fall　of　1885；　the　father　of　the　41　children　was　crossing　a　railroad　track　and　was　run　down　by　a　locomotive　and　instantly　killed。　His　widow　and　24　of　the　42　children　are　still　living。〃

Many　Marriages。In　this　connection　it　seems　appropriate　to　mention　a　few　examples　of　multimarriages　on　record；　to　give　an　idea　of　the　possibilities　of　the　extent　of　paternity。　St。　Jerome　mentions　a　widow　who　married　her　twenty…　second　husband；　who　in　his　time　had　taken　to　himself　20　loving　spouses。　A　gentleman　living　in　Bordeaux　in　1772　had　been　married　16　times。　DeLongueville；　a　Frenchman；　lived　to　be　one　hundred　and　ten　years　old；　and　had　been　joined　in　matrimony　to　10　wives；　his　last　wife　bearing　him　a　son　in　his　one　hundred　and　first　year。

Possible　Descendants。When　we　indulge　ourselves　as　to　the　possible　number　of　living　descendants　one　person　may　have；　we　soon　get　extraordinary　figures。　The　Madrid　Estafette　states　that　a　gentleman；　Senor　Lucas　Nequeiras　Saez；　who　emigrated　to　America　seventy　years　previously；　recently　returned　to　Spain　in　his　own　steamer；　and　brought　with　him　his　whole　family；　consisting　of　197　persons。　He　had　been　thrice　married；　and　by　his　first　wife　had　11　children　at　7　births；　by　his　second　wife；　19　at　13　births；　and　by　his　third　wife；　7　at　6　births。　The　youngest　of　the　37　was　thirteen　years　old　and　the　eldest　seventy。　This　latter　one　had　a　son　aged　forty…seven　and　16　children　besides。　He　had　34　granddaughters；　45　grandsons；　45　great　granddaughters；　39　great　grandsons；　all　living。　Senor　Saez　himself　was　ninety…three　years　old　and　in　excellent　health。

At　Litchfield；　Conn。；　there　is　said　to　be　the　following　inscription：

〃Here　lies　the　body　of　Mrs。　Mary；　wife　of　Dr。　John　Bull；　Esq。　She　died　November　4；　1778；　aetat。　ninety；　having　had　13　children；　101　grandchildren；　274　great　grandchildren；　and　22　great…great　grandchildren；　a　total　of　410；　surviving；　336。〃

In　Esher　Church　there　is　an　inscription；　scarcely　legible；　which　records　the　death　of　the　mother　of　Mrs。　Mary　Morton　on　April　18；　1634；　and　saying　that　she　was　the　wonder　of　her　sex　and　age；　for　she　lived　to　see　nearly　400　issued　from　her　loins。

The　following　is　a　communication　to　〃Notes　and　Queries；〃　March　21；　1891：　〃Mrs。　Mary　Honeywood　was　daughter　and　one　of　the　coheiresses　of　Robert　Waters；　Esq。；　of　Lenham；　in　Kent。　She　was　born　in　1527；　married　in　February；　1543；　at　sixteen　years　of　age；　to　her　only　husband；　Robert　Honeywood；　Esq。；　of　Charing；　in　Kent。　She　died　in　the　ninety…third　year　of　her　age；　in　May；　1620。　She　had　16　children　of　her　own　body；　7　sons　and　9　daughters；　of　whom　one　had　no　issue；　3　died　youngthe　youngest　was　slain　at　Newport　battle；　June　20；　1600。　Her　grandchildren；　in　the　second　generation；　were　114；　in　the　third；　228；　and　in　the　fourth；　9；　so　that　she　could　almost　say　the　same　as　the　distich　doth　of　one　of　the　Dalburg　family　of　Basil：　'Rise　up；　daughter　and　go　to　thy　daughter；　for　thy　daughter's　daughter　hath　a　daughter。'

〃In　Markshal　Church；　in　Essex；　on　Mrs。　Honeywood's　tomb　is　the　following　inscription：　'Here　lieth　the　body　of　Mary　Waters；　the　daughter　and　coheir　of　Robert　Waters；　of　Lenham；　in　Kent；　wife　of　Robert　Honeywood；　of　Charing；　in　Kent；　her　only　husband；　who　had　at　her　decease；　lawfully　descended　from　her；　367　children；　16　of　her　own　body；　114　grandchildren；　228　in　the　third　generation；　and　9　in　the　fourth。　She　lived　a　most　pious　life　and　died　at　Markshal；　in　the　ninety…third　year　of　her　age　and　the　forty…fourth　of　her　widowhood；　May　11；　1620。'　（From　'Curiosities　for　the　Ingenious；'　1826。）　　　　　　　　　　　　S。　S。　R。〃

Animal　prolificity　though　not　finding　a　place　in　this　work；　presents　some　wonderful　anomalies。　

In　illustration　we　may　note　the　following：　In　the　Illustrated　London　News；　May　11；　1895；　is　a　portrait　of　〃Lady　Millard；〃　a　fine　St。　Bernard　bitch；　the　property　of　Mr。　Thorp　of　Northwold；　with　her　litter　of　21　puppies；　born　on　February　9；　1896；　their　sire　being　a　magnificent　dog〃Young　York。〃　There　is　quoted　an　incredible　account　of　a　cow；　the　property　of　J。　N。　Sawyer　of　Ohio；　which　gave　birth　to　56　calves；　one　of　which　was　fully　matured　and　lived；　the　others　being　about　the　size　of　kittens；　these　died；　together　with　the　mother。　There　was　a　cow　in　France；　in　1871；　delivered　of　5　calves。



CHAPTER　V。

MAJOR　TERATA。

Monstrosities　have　attracted　notice　from　the　earliest　time；　and　many　of　the　ancient　philosophers　made　references　to　them。　In　mythology　we　read　of　Centaurs；　impossible　beings　who　had　the　body　and　extremities　of　a　beast；　the　Cyclops；　possessed　of　one　enormous　eye；　or　their　parallels　in　Egyptian　myths；　the　men　with　pectoral　eyes；the　creatures　〃whose　heads　do　beneath　their　shoulders　grow；〃　and　the　Fauns；　those　sylvan　deities　whose　lower　extremities　bore　resemblance　to　those　of　a　goat。　Monsters　possessed　of　two　or　more　heads　or　double　bodies　are　found　in　the　legends　and　fairy　tales　of　every　nation。　Hippocrates；　his　precursors；　Empedocles　and　Democritus；　and　Pliny；　Aristotle；　and　Galen；　have　all　described　monsters；　although　in　extravagant　and　ridiculous　language。

Ballantyne　remarks　that　the　occasional　occurrence　of　double　monsters　was　a　fact　known　to　the　Hippocratic　school；　and　is　indicated　by　a　passage　in　De　morbis　muliebribus；　in　which　it　is　said　that　labor　is　gravely　interfered　with　when　the　infant　is　dead　or　apoplectic　or　double。　There　is　also　a　reference　to　monochorionic　twins　（which　are　by　modern　teratologists　regarded　as　monstrosities）　in　the　treatise　De　Superfoetatione；　in　which　it　is　stated　that　〃a　woman；　pregnant　with　twins；　gives　birth　to　them　both　at　the　same　time；　just　as　she　has　conceived　them；　the　two　infants　are　in　a　single　chorion。〃

Ancient　Explanations　of　Monstrosities。From　the　time　of　Galen　to　the　sixteenth　century　many　incredible　reports　of　monsters　are　seen　in　medical　literature；　but　without　a　semblance　of　scientific　truth。　There　has　been　little　improvement　in　the　mode　of　explanation　of　monstrous　births　until　the　present　century；　while　in　the　Middle　Ages　the　superstitions　were　more　ludicrous　and　observers　more　ignorant　than　before　the　time　of　Galen。　In　his　able　article　on　the　teratologic　records　of　Chaldea；　Ballantyne　makes　the　following　trite　statements：　〃Credulity　and　superstition　have　never　been　the　peculiar　possession　of　the　lower　types　of　civilization　only；　and　the　special　beliefs　that　have　gathered　round　the　occurrence　of　teratologic　phenomena　have　been　common　to　the　cultured　Greek　and　Roman　of　the　past；　the　ignorant　peasant　of　modern　times；　and　the　savage　tribes　of　all　ages。　Classical　writings；　the　literature　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　the　popular　beliefs　of　the　present　day　all　contain　views　concerning　teratologic　subjects　which　so　closely　resemble　those　of　the　Chaldean　magi　as　to　be　indistinguishable　from　them。　Indeed；　such　works　as　those　of　Obsequens；　Lycosthenes；　Licetus；　and　Ambroise　Pare　only　repeat；　but　with　less　accuracy　of　description　and　with　greater　freedom　of　imagination；　the　beliefs　of　ancient　Babylon。　Even　at　the　present　time　the　most　impossible　cases　of　so…called　'maternal　impressions'　are　widely　scattered　through　medical　literature；　and　it　is　not　very　long　since　I　received　a　letter　from　a　distinguished　member　of　the　profession　asking　me　whether；　in　my　opinion；　I　thought　it　possible　for　a　woman　to　give　birth　to　a　dog。　Of　course；　I　do　not　at　all　mean　to　infer　that　teratology　has　not　made　immense　advances　within　recent　times；　nor　do　I　suggest　that　on　such　subjects　the　knowledge　of　the　magi　can　be　compared　with　that　of　the　average　medical　student　of　the　present；　but　what　I　wish　to　emphasize　is　that；　in　the　literature　of　ancient　Babylonia；　there　are　indications　of　an　acquaintance　with　structural　defects　and　malformations　of　the　human　body　which　will　compare　favorably　with　even　the　writings　of　the　sixteenth　century　of　the　Christian　era。〃

Many　reasons　were　given　for　the　existence　of　monsters；　and　in　the　Middle　Ages　these　were　as　faulty　as　the　descriptions　themselves。　They　were　interpreted　as　divinations；　and　were　cited　as　forebodings　and　examples　of　wrath；　or　even　as　glorifications　of　the　Almighty。　The　semi…human　creatures　were　invented　or　imagined；　and　cited　as　the　results　of　bestiality　and　allied　forms　of　sexual　perversion　prevalent　in　those　times。　We　find　minute　descriptions　and　portraits　of　these　impossible　results　of　wicked　practices　in　many　of　the　older　medical　books。　According　to　Pare　there　was　born　in　1493；　as　the　result　of　illicit　intercourse　between　a　woman　and　a　dog；　a　creature　resembling　in　its　upper　extremities　its　mother；　while　its　lower　extremities　were　the　exact　counterpart　of　its　canine　father。　This　particular　case　was　believed　by　Bateman　and　others　to　be　a　precursor　to　the　murders　and　wickedness　that　followed　in　the　time　of　Pope　Alexander　I。　Volateranus；　Cardani；　and　many　others　cite　instance