The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-07-27 00:00:00

THE ANATOMIE 17rANTE.

This extraordinary human being has been examined
within the last few days by some anatomical professors
and other persons, preparatory to his being exhibited to
the public. Curiosity will, no doubt, induce many to visit
him; but we believe few who have no better object will
be tempted to repeat the visit. There is something so
sickening in the sight of a fellow-creature enduring life
under such melancholy circumstances, that we imagine
even John Bull, notwithstanding his great anxiety to be-
hold every thing that is outre, from the bottle conjurer to
the mermaid, and from the mermaid to the opera singer,
will scarcely be inclined to relish this new trial of his taste
or his credulity. The unhappy object of speculation (we
understand he has been regularly purchased and paid for)
is about the age of 28 years, his height may be five feet
six inches, and he is a native of the province of Champagne,
in Fiance. His father and his step-mother are both with
him, arid if we credit their account, he was brought into
the world thus afflicted, grew to his present height at four-
teen years old, and has never had a day's illness during his
life, with the exception of what they call a pain in his side,
which, however, must evidently have arisen from a
diseased liver. His face bears no resemblance to the
state of his body. It is somewhat cadaverous, hut
not very sickly, and his head at first sight appears to
be that of a Chinese. The lips are thick, the brows are
arched, the eyes are somewhat sunk, the cheek bones are
high, and the cranium is very defective in all the intellec-
tual organs ; there is a considerable flatness in the posterior
part of the head, while the organ which the disciples of
Spurzheim call that of primogenitiveness is altogether
absent. Ilis voice, however, is not particularly weak, and
is rather pleasing than otherwise. lie converses ip very
good French, and reads and writes tolerably wen. It is
not until he is disrobed, that the spectator perceives any
thing out of the common order. But then, the wretched and
unnatural fortn of the young man is at once seen. Across
the shoulders he is-very broad, and there is a remarkable
elevation of the superior spine of the seep:des. The neck
is unusually short and thick ; the sternum is flattened to an
extraordinary degree, and we imagine it approximates to
the vertebral column to within an inch and a half. The
action of the heart may be felt rather below the left
papilla, which is much loner than usual—the seas of life
Its therefore placid in a most unnan!!7l position. Its pul-
sation may be bears', by placing the ear under the loft
shoulder; but the pulsation in every part of the body is
extremely languid and indistinct. The ribs are of course
very plainly distinguished, the abdomen seems to be greatly
wasted, and the pelvis to be entirely devoid of all muscular
attachments ; no traces of the glutei muscles can be dis-
covered. The upper extremities are amazingly extenuated,
not having the trace of any muscle whatever; the thigh bones
appear merely to be covered by the common integuments,
arid possess neither fat nor muscle. The feet and hands
are not more than simply reduced. He possesses scarcely
more muscular power than enables him slightly to elevate
the extrdenities ; this, however, he cannot do whit ease,
and we should suppose he could scarcely raise a pound
weight in his band. On level ground be can e•alk, we
understand, to some extent, but his stepmother is alwaya
obliged to carry him up stairs. It will be perhaps impos-
sible for the learned to divine the cause of this unnatural
affliction. Sir Astley Cooper (who visited him a few days
• since, and examined him very minutely) has, we under-
stand, endeavoured to account for it on the principle of
want of room for the action of the heart ; but this observa-
tion applies equally to all the other vital organs. The
chest, as we have said, is remarkably indented, as if a
heavy weight had been plse-11 upon it for years; and the
heart, as we have before stated, is completely out of its na-
tural position. To the casual observer, he has the dread-
ful appearance of a being wasted by long continued famine,
or, more dreadful, of some reanimated corpse that had lain
for months in the charnel house. If our information be
correct, his daily loud does trot exceed three ounces, and
his drink is cider.

We cannot conclude our observations without condemn-
ing, in the most unqualified terms, the feeling that could
have induced any speculator to bring so wretched an object
film the tranquillity aids 12A_tive village, to mese him t'i
the gaze of thousands, more especially as there does not,
appear to be the slightest probability that the interests of
science will be in any degree forwartled by the sickening
exposure.

On Monday evening the Duchess of Kent honoured the
Haymarket theatre with her presenec.
All the furniture of the Duke and Duchess of Clarere^
has been removed from their town residence in the King's
Palace, St. James's, to Bushey Park, previous to its Lein::
pulled down. _

• The report of the state of Mr. Secretary Canning's
health yesterday was, tht.. Right lion. Gentleman was pre-
, eeixling towards recovery. •
The new opera of Broken Promises increases in attrac-
tion. Amongst the visitors to the English Opera House
we have notie:al their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of
Kent, the Duke and Duchoss of Cambrid,;e, the Duke of
Sussex, Ladies Stanhope, Clarke, Sheffield, Hume, Agar,
Gwydyr, Nightingale, Berwick; Lords Auckland, Wes-
ington ; Sir Andrew Barnard, Sir George Elder, Sir Tho-
mas Croft, and numerous parties of fashionables.
MATCH r nom Cut I.TF lIA M.-A Mr. Danvers matched
himself at the finish of Cheltenham Races to go on foot
from thence to Bayswater, 94 miles in 9'2 hours for 4t><l
sovereigns. The start took: place on Friday night, and tie'
pedestrian performed :4) miles in six hours without
stopping to refresh. He accomplished the SA miles in
half the stipulated time, and travelled leisurtlp at rather
more than four miles an hour, and won the match easy
ten minutes to spare. lie wore flanuylt only and a:A
sbotx.