The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1836-02-27
ANOTHER HOAX.

which is nothing more or less Than complete hoax
from beginning to end Joice Heth is not dead. On
Wednesday last, as learn from the best authority
she was living at Hebros in Connecticut, where she
then was. The subject on which Doctor Rogers and
the Medical Faculty of Barclay street have been exer
cising their knife and their ingenuity, is the remains of
respectable old negress called ApNr NELLY, who has
lived many years in small house by herself in Hair
laem, belonging to Mr. Clarke. She is DIR. Rogers
sagely discovers and Doctor Locke his coleage
ra,ely records, only eighty years Of age Aunt Nelly
before DEATH complained of old age aud in6ruy. She
was otherwise in good spirits. The recent winter how
ever has been very severe and she gave the ghost
few days ago.
Some person in this city, believe Of the ad-
yenising doctors who had been hoaxed by the Lunar
Discoveries in the manufacture Of which ii is be-
lieved that DIR. Rogers had principal hand along with
Sir Richard A. Locke, resolved, he heard
from friend of the death Of poor AUNT NELLY to send
her body into the city, and contriye pass her off
upon the Medical Faculty for the vertabe Joce H-th,
The trick took. Several Of the hoaxed went, looked,
wondered and held up their hands in astonishment.-
Her death was announced in the Sun, and post
tenn examination prepared. The pubic swallowed the
pill. Aunt Nelly, neglected, unknown, unped when
alive became object of deep science and deeper in
vestigation when she died. She looked as old and v
as Joce herself and in that respect answered the thing
exactly.
Such is the true version of the hoax as given us by
good authority of the story told in the following piece
of humbug, taken from yesterdays Sum-
From Yesterdays San.
DissectiOs of Joice HeM-Precious Humbug En-
posed.-The anatomical examination of the body Of
Joce Heth Yesterday the City Saloon resulted in the
a<f of flaa ,l,rtUc
ever was imposed upon credueus community. [Oh!
oh! humbug on huHbug.] We were somewhat
prsed that public dissection of this kind should have
been proposed and were half inclined to question the
proprey of the scientific curiosity which prompted it.
Nov doubt you regret now. We felt though the
person of poor old Joce Heh, should have been sacred
from exposure and mutlation, not much
Of her extreme old age and the public curiosity which
she had already graed for the gain of others, for
the high honor with which she endowed in being
the nurse of the immortal Washington. (Oh! could
poW Aunt Nelly hear this! But the motive which
prompted the public dissection was as worthy as the
result to the public will be beneficial Better say
thing of motives A#
Dr. David L. Rogers, of Chambers street, highly emf
nen in his profession for anatomical knowledge and
skill ON visiting Joice Heh, shortly after her arrival in
this city, become perfectly convinced that instead OF be-
ing one hundred and sxty-one years Of age, univer
sally represented and considered she could not, the
utmost, have exceeded the age of eighty. Wonderful
physician] He found that her pulse almost invariably
beat the of 10 instead of considerably more Than
100, which would most probably have been the rnpi-
diy at the age which she assumed for in very
old age, il is well known the pulse generally return to
the speed 10 infancy. But, in addition IN this the
Doctor found none of the concemtants of age that
had Witnessed more than century and half at win
tiers and summers; her hearing, her voice. her intellect
aud all her bodily functions not more impaired
than those of the generality of persons who bad lived
but half that period. And her long loss of sight, he
was confident had beenthe effect of disease to which
she NAV have been liable AT early period of life
Under this impression, he informed several of his friends
that If she died this city its neigbDourh0od, he
would eneavor to put his opinion the of an
ion,ical examination which he doubted moi would I'M
deceive the public mind. IA prophet, my Iord-a pro-
phet truly] That event having urred, he made ar
engagements for public dissection OF the CITY Saooa
At twelve O'clock the hour appointed, curiosity
prompted us To attend, and we found number of
deal practitioners and students already in attendance
(Oh! science whether hast thou fed y The body APP
poured greatly enacated, but not than is
monly the persons of sixty seventy years of
age. Poor Asnl NeIly:] Previous to making an in
cision DR.. Rogers stated that the most nvaable
tonca evidence of extreme age Ossic alton Tor
conversion into bone) of certain parts Of the body.
which, in subjects Of ordinary longevity cariila-
ginous. (Excellent Phosophers!] 1t was common to
find os-fcaons in the inripa arteries; and in the
case Of woman whom he had examined when in Iia-
w. who had died al the age of Is wears, hen he found
the heart almost entirely ossed. and also all the
of cartilage about the and the other bones of
the chest. He then proposed TO tirs examine the alb
domina yisera, which, developing he pronounced to
have perfect natural and healfhv appearance Won
dprfu1 The visera Of the chest generally heslihv
also: the liver of proper size, and free from dis
ease On i;ssecriug the heart he found rbe cardnary
artery not ai all oss-d. the valves in general
and 4, was only at the urch Of The 1--WE think M
said) TIN, even the slightest degree of ossicafoH
pr-srntedf Itiow could there!
I'm mining found sd