Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-11-29
Miscellaneous.
From tho Macon Telegraph.

PnYsIuLoClcAL PH.NOMEN0N -
Snake Man.--A correspondent tn" oun-
try has furnished ,,s with the following uc-
CONT of an individual, bv the name OF Rnh-
ert II. Copeland, who is cxhibiIino him.
self though ,ie country. The facts are
rouchcd by !" number Of the most respect,
nblc physicians and other persons in Hen.
Ty county:
::This most singular being. perhaps. has
nos u parallel in medical history. He is
low about 2G years old. Of ordinary slntur"
and intellect. His ,lctormilcs aud physi
cal pecularitics are owing 10 Il fright his
mother received from large RaItlcsunkc
attempting To bic her, about the sixth
month Of her pregnancy. For several
minutes after the snake struck ut her she
believed herself bitten just above the an
Gle; and SO powerfully was her mind afi.'c
ted, that when she was delivered. the
chiId's will was found to have no cnnirnl
over his riah, arm and rioht lee; which
are smaller than his left cxtrrniiics. He
can usc his right leg now, sufficiently 10
walk in Il liobblin. manner, hut cannot re-
tnin il stationary, without the aid of The
weight of his body. Ills right hand has
the usual number Of fingers, hul they are
smaller than those of his left hand. The
wrist joint is lnoscr than usual, and his
hand starlls at an angle with his arm
His front teeth are s"'new hat pointed. aud
inclined backward. like the tinn.s ol Il snake.
The right side of his face il srn>,blv alice
ted; his mouth is drawn considerably far
,hcr on the right. ,;,an on the lci, side: his
right eye sIn'l's, mas several deep Sr,nvcs
radiat'n. from it. and has Il very singular
appearance. much resembling Il s,;,kc.-
lS.f sl,.a,t t,,.,
GU mstan e on record. j., iIl,, h,, rirhl arm.
when not restrained. viii draw the lower
part to ahou, right angle with The upper
and some times TWO or three. huI most com
monty. only the fore finer will project.
curved al the first joni; nur!, resembling Il
snakes head and neck, when ~ iiic aIIi
tudc oi striking; and the whole arm will
strike al an object viii, all the venom Of IL
snake, and precisely in III" same nn,,-
ncr, Tor two or three. and Su,,,c times iu:
four or five STROKES, and then the arm us.
sumes vibrat"ry moinu. will coli up and
apply i'scll close ng;iin>I his nndy. Drrimu
this period, his right lnot and lcs become
excited, anu II not restrained. will strike
also. His face is also excited; tic angle of
his mouth is drawn backward. and his eve
snaps more or less, in unison with the
o'o"SS W w illlS' us IlIiS are al
ways separated. cxrnsin. his teeth. which,
being somewhat pointed like the Iang> of "a
snake, causes his whole v,,nsc 10 assume
peculiar anl suakcy cI.-Dusnu IN
fancy, and chl,Ihond The " hole shape ot
the snake, even 10 its Iangs. was printed on
the anterior of hi, leg; hut a, he grew up,
1t became gradually ohliterated, lill nov
there is only ii small depression where th-
snakes head was imp,inled: The sishl
ol "a snake fills him with horror. and an
instructive feeling of revenge; and ne is
moro cNcitahlc during The season of snake,
aud even conversation concerning them
cxcitcs him. and his arm appears more
anxious 10 strike than when no such CON
vcrsnlinui is eo;n. on
All Of he a"rvc nomrna are Nor
fcctly independent or MS will. us hun.lr.,..
can testify. who were acquainted win
him Ton. before he had any idea of rxlnl,-
iting himself publicly. This singular h,
ing was born in Carolina. and moved I,
Georgia in the year IS23; where he has
since remained. pcriprnnS such lahur as
he could with one hand, and bv unrrmil
ting rXcrti"ns, has ainraimd his wife
and an increasing family. Ills physical
pcculariIic>. being considered ,nly in r.c
light of common dctnrinitv, lie never
thought of exhibiting himself publicly i,li
II was suggested 10 him by medical lric.nl
in 1887"