Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-02
Extraordinary case of Human Physio logy.

b.
There is now in the city of Baltimore, for
a limited period, one oithe most remarkable
! individuals in existence.
VI. Eugene \. GrouX, is native OF liam
burg. where he was born, on the 10th OF Jan
uary. A. D.. 1891. The anatomical pecull-
arity of his formation is assure Of the Ster-
mum (brcast bone.) which did not excite
much attention until he was attacked with
cholera while an assistant i'll business with
his uncle then residing in London lie was
attended by respectable German physician
to whom Le communicated the fact Of the SIN
GUAR malformation His physician was the
man 10 understand and appreciate the value
of the case and through his instrumentality
he was presented 10 the most eminent physl-
clans of London.
| His health became affected, and he was adj
yisrI to travel for its benefit From that time
he has been travelling in various parts OF
Europe. He has visited nearly ell the large
towns and cities Of Europe. and been present
cd to their medical and learned societies, and
I has also permitted himself to be privately ex-
alninrd by more than 1000 physicians and
medical men of eminencc in France, Sweden,
! Holland. Russia, Spain and the Kingdom OF
Great Britain
| We extract from the London Lancet an
account Of hi, visit 10 Guys Hospital, Lon
don-the theatre of the fame of that great
surgeon and one of the first gentlemen OF
! his duy-Sir Ashley Paxton Cooper: "An
| instance of the absence of the sternum in
Young man. foreigner, excited considera-
! he attention this week at the above llospi-
| tai. We have seldom. if ever. seen u case OF
such intense interest in physiological point
of view. The region of the sternum in this
individual is in fact. quite open, and displays
under the skin the particular movements Of
the pcrcardium and heart This point of
conformation intertcres rather singular
" with the actions usually ascribed to
the stcrno-thvroid and sterno-hyoid muscles
which are entirely absent on the right side.
The sterno-cleide masteoidei muscles, Curl
uuSly enough in their movements, extensive
" influence the neck. without trace OF
Sternal attachment. When Il forced inspira-
ton is tried. il is quite remarkable how the
chest is expanded by these muscles and the
trapczius at each side the diaphragm and
heart not seeming to he much affected, while
the lungs, or what may be conceived to be
mass of pleura-mediastinum and lung being
forced out fills up the front OF the neck.
On hasty glance at the case were were pc
LARRY struck by the beautiful vermcular
movement Of the heart, by which the right
auricle is filled with blood, for it docs not
appear to be the aorta which is under the
skin rs at first suspected, but an oblong tu-
nor covered with pcricardium, the pulsations
of which are not quite synchronous with the
pulse of the wrist.
The oblong mmor is probably the right auri-
Gle diating and contracting in the usual way
G0or 20 times per minute. aud being about
the size of two large thumbs Of an adult, but
made once and Il half as large by the young
man holding his breath and thus allowing his
auricle to become engorgcd. The diastole
and svstole are alternate but not of steam
engine like piston character, up and down,
as is usually thought. The period of dila
ting is longer than the contraction Of the
tumor or auricle The dlatation is. however,
rapid, with an apparent tilt Of the heart for
ward, Immediately followed by peculiar
vermicular collapse or emptying Of the tn
NOR impcdcd only 10y holding the breath or |
Offering an obstacle to the blood going TO the |
lungs. These various points are clear. aud
what might theoretically be expected
Baitim0rs .imericda