Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-06-28

raj weeks he had, in almost every in
stance, declined admitting strangers,
as he thought their presenc had an
unfavorable effect upon the child, but
as had come considerable distance
out of my way, he was disposed to
crafty my wish, the more especially
as be thought ! might give him some
advice in relation to the course he
ought to pursue.
We were then invited into an adjoin-
ing room, in one corner Of which we
beheld, tied in small low chair,
most horribly emaciated little child,
apparently about two years old. am
aware that shall totally fail in giving
| you any thing like an idea Of the mis-.
cradle object before us. Imagine, if
you can, an infant, or mere child, of
about the age above supposed, reduced
TO very skeleton, hairless, and COW
cred with parched and shrivelled
skin, darF and unelastic as the cores
ponding structure in the withered &C.
togenarian. Its little red, frey eyes,
rolling restlessly, in the deep recess
ses Of its fleshless sockets, sent forth
horrid flashes of Indignation when the
door of its apartment was thrown open.
The little sufferer opened its mouth,
and in the place of its tongue, SER
pent's head and neck were thrust out,
vibrating and Kissing with an intensity
peculiar to the more venemous vare.
ties of that repulsive species of ANNA
ted nature! could not, for several
minutes, muster sufficient courage to
approach the object of my curiosity.
was fixed to the spot which at first
occupied, while the serpent headed
tongue continued to dart forth and
recede with the quickness of thought !:
its little lorked and frey tongue at the
same time playing about the lips and
nostrls of the child, equalling in velo-
city the lightning's flash! Mr.. W,
the father, gradually approached the
child, all the time speaking very sooth-
| ngly to it, and in few minutes sue.
ceeded in producing quiet-the head
receded, the lips closed over it, and
the infant exhibited the aspect only Of
extreme emaciation. But the moment
y moved towards the child, even but
Single step, the mouth would open, the
head suddenly dart forth, and the same
dreadful spectacle, | have already i'm.
perfectly described, would be again
presented.
The father, however, beckoned me to
approach, which did, but never shall
| forget the Tremendous kissing W hich
came from the serpent headed tongue
of the little sufferer. 1t was several
minutes before quietude could be pro-
duced, and even the slightest motion
on my part would cause an instanta.
neous protruslon Of the unsightly or
gan, more or less intense according to
the fears Of the child l had aovoral
fair opportunities of seeing the strange
member, and will endeavor to give you
a description it. Its color is a dark
copper, shining, and in places inclining
to streaks of green. Its eyes are a jet
black, and when the light strikes them
favorably, no diamonds ever send forth
more brilliant scintllations of light
A bright yellow ring encircles the
neck, and really has much the appear.
ance of gold. The mouth of this ser.
pent-headed tongue is quite large, and
was always slightly opeE when the
head protruded beyond the lips. Its
little lorkeG tongue, as | have already
said, was necessarily in motion. We
stald in the room just thirty minutes,
during the latter part Of which time the
child became very quiet, and took
freely of milk, its usual food. The ia
Their told me he had known the tongue
to bite several times, and once when
1t fastened upon one Of his fingers,
much swelling and soreness followed !;
indeed he was only relieved by copi-
GUS bleeding. He informed me also,
that the child eat voraciously of milk
and sometimes other kinds of food, but
that it preferred the former. The
child is Of the female sex. He stated
further that several eminent physicians
and surgeons had been TO see the child
and that it had been recommended by
one, the eminent DR.. W., that the
tongue be extirpated. conceded in
this opinion, and advised that the DR..
be called upon to perform the opera
ton. The father, Mr.. W, is about
twenty eight years old, and the mo-
Their, should Judge, about twenty-five.
have omitted names in this hasty
sketch, at the request Of the parties
concerned.