anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第81部分

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exhibition　and　are　apparently　intelligent。　They　advertise　that　they　were　examined　and　still　remain　under　the　surveillance　of　the　Faculty　of　Gottingen。

Next　to　the　success　of　〃Tom　Thumb〃　probably　no　like　attraction　has　been　so　celebrated　as　the　〃Lilliputians；〃　whose　antics　and　wit　so　many　Americans　have　in　late　years　enjoyed。　They　were　a　troupe　of　singers　and　comedians　composed　entirely　of　dwarfs；　they　exhibited　much　talent　in　all　their　performances；　which　were　given　for　several　years　and　quite　recently　in　all　the　large　cities　of　the　United　States。　They　showed　themselves　to　be　worthy　rivals　for　honors　in　the　class　of　entertainments　known　as　burlesques。　As　near　as　could　be　ascertained；　partly　from　the　fact　that　they　all　spoke　German　fluently　and　originally　gave　their　performance　entirely　in　German；　they　were　collected　from　the　German　and　Austrian　Empires。

The　〃Princess　Topaze〃　was　born　near　Paris　in　1879。　According　to　a　recent　report　she　is　perfectly　formed　and　is　intelligent　and　vivacious。　She　is　23　1/2　inches　tall　and　weighs　14　pounds。　Her　parents　were　of　normal　stature。

Not　long　since　the　papers　recorded　the　death　of　Lucia　Zarete；　a　Mexican　girl；　whose　exact　proportions　were　never　definitely　known；　but　there　is　no　doubt　that　she　was　the　smallest　midget　ever　exhibited　In　this　country。　Her　exhibitor　made　a　fortune　with　her　and　her　salary　was　among　the　highest　paid　to　modern　〃freaks。〃

Miss　H。　Moritz；　an　American　dwarf；　at　the　age　of　twenty　weighed　36　pounds　and　was　only　22　inches　tall。

Precocious　development　is　characterized　by　a　hasty　growth　of　the　subject；　who　at　an　early　period　of　life　attains　the　dimensions　of　an　adult。　In　some　of　these　instances　the　anomaly　is　associated　with　precocious　puberty；　and　after　acquiring　the　adult　growth　at　an　early　age　there　is　an　apparent　cessation　of　the　development。　In　adult　life　the　individual　shows　no　distinguishing　characters。

The　first　to　be　considered　will　be　those　cases；　sometimes　called　〃man…boys；〃　characterized　by　early　puberty　and　extraordinary　development　in　infancy。　Histories　of　remarkable　children　have　been　transmitted　from　the　time　of　Vespasian。　We　read　in　the　〃Natural　History〃　of　Pliny　that　in　Salamis；　Euthimedes　had　a　son　who　grew　to　3　Roman　cubits　（4　1/2　feet）　in　three　years；　he　was　said　to　have　little　wit；　a　dull　mind；　and　a　slow　and　heavy　gait；　his　voice　was　manly；　and　he　died　at　three　of　general　debility。　Phlegon　says　that　Craterus；　the　brother　of　King　Antigonus；　was　an　infant；　a　young　man；　a　mature　man；　an　old　man；　and　married　and　begot　children　all　in　the　space　of　seven　years。　It　is　said　that　King　Louis　II　of　Hungary　was　born　so　long　before　his　time　that　he　had　no　skin；　in　his　second　year　he　was　crowned；　in　his　tenth　year　he　succeeded；　in　his　fourteenth　year　he　had　a　complete　beard；　in　his　fifteenth　he　was　married；　in　his　eighteenth　he　had　gray　hair；　and　in　his　twentieth　he　died。　Rhodiginus　speaks　of　a　boy　who　when　he　was　ten　years　impregnated　a　female。　In　1741　there　was　a　boy　born　at　Willingham；　near　Cambridge；　who　had　the　external　marks　of　puberty　at　twelve　months；　and　at　the　time　of　his　death　at　five　years　he　had　the　appearance　of　an　old　man。　He　was　called　〃prodigium　Willinghamense。〃　The　Ephemerides　and　some　of　the　older　journals　record　instances　of　penile　erection　immediately　after　birth。

It　was　said　that　Philip　Howarth；　who　was　born　at　Quebec　Mews；　Portman　Square；　London；　February　21；　1806；　lost　his　infantile　rotundity　of　form　and　feature　after　the　completion　of　his　first　year　and　became　pale　and　extremely　ugly；　appearing　like　a　growing　boy。　His　penis　and　testes　increased　in　size；　his　voice　altered；　and　hair　grew　on　the　pubes。　At　the　age　of　three　he　was　3　feet　4　1/2　inches　tall　and　weighed　51　1/4　pounds。　The　length　of　his　penis　when　erect　was　4　1/2　inches　and　the　circumference　4　inches；　his　thigh…measure　was　13　1/2　inches；　his　waist…measure　24　inches；　and　his　biceps　7　inches。　He　was　reported　to　be　clever；　very　strong；　and　muscular。　An　old　chronicle　says　that　in　Wisnang　Parish；　village　of　Tellurge；　near　Tygure；　in　Lordship　Kiburge；　there　was　born　on　the　26th　of　May；　1548；　a　boy　called　Henry　Walker；　who　at　five　years　was　of　the　height　of　a　boy　of　fourteen　and　possessed　the　genitals　of　a　man。　He　carried　burdens；　did　men's　work；　and　in　every　way　assisted　his　parents；　who　were　of　usual　size。

There　is　a　case　cited　by　the　older　authors　of　a　child　born　in　the　Jura　region　who　at　the　age　of　four　gave　proof　of　his　virility；　at　seven　had　a　beard　and　the　height　of　a　man。　The　same　journal　also　speaks　of　a　boy　of　six；　1。62　meters　tall；　who　was　perfectly　proportioned　and　had　extraordinary　strength。　His　beard　and　general　appearance；　together　with　the　marks　of　puberty；　gave　him　the　appearance　of　a　man　of　thirty。

In　1806　Dupuytren　presented　to　the　Medical　Society　in　Paris　a　child　3　1/2　feet　high；　weighing　57　pounds；　who　had　attained　puberty。

There　are　on　record　six　modern　cases　of　early　puberty　in　boys；　one　of　whom　died　at　five　with　the　signs　of　premature　senility；　at　one　year　he　had　shown　signs　of　enlargement　of　the　sexual　organs。　There　was　another　who　at　three　was　3　feet　6　3/4　inches　high；　weighed　50　pounds；　and　had　seminal　discharges。　One　of　the　cases　was　a　child　who　at　birth　resembled　an　ordinary　infant　of　five　months。　From　four　to　fifteen　months　his　penis　enlarged；　until　at　the　age　of　three　it　measured　when　erect　3　inches。　At　this　age　he　was　3　feet　7　inches　high　and　weighed　64　pounds。　The　last　case　mentioned　was　an　infant　who　experienced　a　change　of　voice　at　twelve　months　and　showed　hair　on　the　pubes。　At　three　years　he　was　3　feet　4　1/2　inches　tall　and　weighed　51　1/4　pounds。　Smith；　in　Brewster's　Journal；　1829；　records　the　case　of　a　boy　who　at　the　age　of　four　was　well　developed；　at　the　age　of　six　he　was　4　feet　2　inches　tall　and　weighed　74　pounds；　his　lower　extremities　were　extremely　short　proportionally　and　his　genitals　were　as　well　developed　as　those　of　an　adult。　He　had　a　short；　dark　moustache　but　no　hair　on　his　chin；　although　his　pubic　hair　was　thick；　black；　and　curly。　Ruelle　describes　a　child　of　three　and　a　quarter　years　who　was　as　strong　and　muscular　as　one　at　eight。　He　had　full…sized　male　organs　and　long　black　hair　on　the　pubes。　Under　excitement　he　discharged　semen　four　or　five　times　a　day；　he　had　a　deep　male　voice；　and　dark；　short　hair　on　the　cheek　and　upper　lip。

Stone　gives　an　account　of　a　boy　of　four　who　looked　like　a　child　of　ten　and　exhibited　the　sexual　organs　of　a　man　with　a　luxuriant　growth　of　hair　on　the　pubes。　This　child　was　said　to　have　been　of　great　beauty　and　a　miniature　model　of　an　athlete。　His　height　was　4　feet　1/4　inch　and　weight　70　pounds；　the　penis　when　semiflaccid　was　4　1/4　inches　long；　he　was　intelligent　and　lively；　and　his　back　was　covered　with　the　acne　of　puberty。　A　peculiar　fact　as　regards　this　case　was　the　statement　of　the　father　that　he　himself　had　had　sexual　indulgence　at　eight。　Stone　parallels　this　case　by　several　others　that　he　has　collected　from　medical　literature。　Breschet　in　1821　reported　the　case　of　a　boy　born　October　20；　1817；　who　at　three　years　and　one　month　was　3　feet　6　3/4　inches　tall；　his　penis　when　flaccid　measured　4　inches　and　when　erect　5　1/4　inches；　but　the　testicles　were　not　developed　in　proportion。　Lopez　describes　a　mulatto　boy　of　three　years　ten　and　a　half　months　whose　height　was　4　feet　1/2　inch　and　weight　82　pounds；　he　measured　about　the　chest　27　1/2　inches　and　about　the　waist　27　inches；　his　penis　at　rest　was　4　inches　long　and　had　a　circumference　of　3　1/2　inches；　although　the　testes　were　not　descended。　He　had　evidences　of　a　beard　and　his　axillae　were　very　hairy；　it　is　said　he　could　with　ease　lift　a　man　weighing　140　pounds。　His　body　was　covered　with　acne　simplex　and　had　a　strong　spermatic　odor；　but　it　was　not　known　whether　he　had　any　venereal　appetite。

Johnson　mentions　a　boy　of　seven　with　severe　gonorrhea　complicated　with　buboes　which　he　had　contracted　from　a　servant　girl　with　whom　he　slept。　At　the　Hopital　des　Enfans　Malades　children　at　the　breast　have　been　observed　to　masturbate。　Fournier　and　others　assert　having　seen　infantile　masturbators；　and　cite　a　case　of　a　girl　of　four　who　was　habitually　addicted　to　masturbation　from　her　infancy　but　was　not　detected　until　her　fourth　year；　she　died　shortly　afterward　in　a　frightful　state　of　marasmus。　Vogel　alludes　to　a　girl　of　three　in　whom　repeated　attacks　of　epilepsy　occurred　after　six　months'　onanism。　Van　Bambeke　mentions　three　children　from　ten　to　twenty　months　old；　two　of　them　females；　who　masturbated。

Bidwell　describes　a　boy　of　five　years　and　two　months　who　during　the　year　previous　had　erections　and　seminal　emissions。　His　voice　had　changed　and　he　had　a　downy　moustache　on　his　upper　lip　and　hair　on　the　pubes；　his　height　was　4　feet　3　1/2　inches　and　his　weight　was　82　1/2　pounds。　His　penis　and　testicles　were　as　well　developed　as　those　of　a　boy　of　seventeen　or　eighteen；　but　from　his　facial　aspect　one　would　take　him　to　be　thirteen。　He　avoided　the　company　of　women　and　would　not　let　his　sisters　nurse　him　when　he　was　sick。

Pryor　speaks　of　a　boy　of　three　and　a　half　who　masturbated　and　who　at　five　and　a　half　had　a　penis　of　adult　size；　hair　on　the　pubes；　and　was　known　to　have　had　seminal　emissions。　Woods　describes　a　boy　of　six　years　and　seven　months　who　had　the　appearance　of　a　youth　of　eighteen。　He　was　4　feet　9　inches　tall　and　was　quite　muscular。　He　first　exhibited　signs　of　precocious　growth　at　the　beginning　of　his　second　year　and　when　three　years　old　he　had　hair　on　the　pubes。　There　is　an　instance　in　which　a　boy　of　thirteen　had　intercourse　with　a　young　woman　at　least　a　dozen　times　and　succeeded　in　impregnating　her。　The　same　journal　mentions　an　instance　in　which　a　boy　of　fourteen　succeeded　in　impregnating　a　girl　of　the　same　age。　Chevers　speaks　of　a　young　boy　in　India　who　was　sentenced　to　one　year's　imprisonment　for　raping　a　girl　of　three。

Douglass　describes　a　boy　of　four　years　and　three　months　who　was　3　feet　10　1/2　inches　tall　and　weighed　54　pounds；　his　features　were　large　and　coarse；　and　his　penis　and　testes　were　of　the　size　of　those　of　an　adult。　He　was　unusually　dull；　mentally；　quite　obstinate；　and　self…willed。　It　is　said　that　he　masturbated　on　all　opportunities　and　had　vigorous　erections；　although　no　spermatozoa　were　found　in　the　semen　issued。　He　showed　no　fondness　for　the