Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1845-05-08
A Skeleton Head OH u Living Body.

A Skeleton Head On u Living Body.
The European papers papers contain somo
wonderful things. Among them is The follow
ing:
Paris is herror-red just now. with The details
of surgical disclosure, showing the ground of ,
rumor " hich has been for some lime whi.-
pered through the noble circles Of Europe IL
has been credibly asserted for year past. that
there shut up in Hotel at Berlin young
Polish Countess. immensely rich, and wanting
a husband, but who had drawback, Tor rather
the moke-draw- -back) of skeleton head upon an
otherwise healthy body The story has been
some ha, doubted, bu, celebrated surgeon.
Drieffenbach, has lately published an account
which we cOndense as follows:
On certain evening three persons called on
this celebrated practitioner An Italian and
Polish gentleman came forward, leaving veil
ed lady in the background. On the retirement
of the other two, the incognita imidly looked
around, advanced hesilalingly, and finally un-
covered her head. A man whose profession
was to look On horrible scenes was not likely
20 be easily moved, hu. from what now met his
sight, he started back with a scream of fright
and horror. A grimacing skeleton, with the
bones of the head scarcely covered with red
dish epidermis, stood before him. The tongue
lay entirely visible, and all The passages of the
nnsa ,1J ,bro,, itho,t covarin0 In iho
tempt to speak, the tongue played like serpent,
half prolrudlng from corpse. The eyellds
were turned inside out, and Of The upper jaw
there remained bu, small portion entirely de-
prired of teeth.
Such was The portrait Of lady Of eighteen.
daughter of one of the most brilliant, and veal
thy families Of Europe, who had been 10 This
degree victim Of scroffula
The Surgeon goes on TO narraie that he could
not, a, midnight, hen this interview took place.
stand wilhou, almost iniolerable dread before
this frght(ul apparalion, but she al last a,iempl
ed TO speak To him. II was an appalling al
tempt at uuerance. She could make no astic-
ulaon that he could understand but she pointed
with frantic vehemence at has nose He at
last comprehended that she wished surgical
supply of this member TO her denuded face. bu;
he shook his head in despair. The scene OF
abandonment, 10 grief which Immediately fol-
lowed, was, he declares, wholly indescrlble.-
She threw herself on the floor in an agony of
convulsive despair.
The Surgeon departed next day for Vienna.
and ,hi,her the lady followed him. Another
interview, with her and some Of her relatives.
ended in his giving his attention to see what
could be DONE He called together few me-
chanicaI artists, and the first result was falsss
palate and set of teeth which enabled her To
chew and aniculaie distinctly. After few
months more, he succeeded in drawing the skin
Ouer frame nose and finally he has sen, her
into the world, not beautiful but al the same
lime not hideous. She frequenls balls and ops-
ras wilhou. veil, and by The aid of flowers in
her hair and other adornments, passes without
attracting extraordinary notice in public. tits
said 10 be one of the greatest .rinmphs ever at
lained in the surgical and mechanical arts
The lady's hand is now open TO competitor.
"A