The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-11-17
An Ossified Man.

There was strange spectacle at the
depot yesterday man of whom ACCOUNTS
were published, years ago, in newspapers
in this country and in medical journals in
England, who has been in state of al
most complete ossiication for thirty years.
His name is Valentine Peakins he was
born fifty years since in Henrietta,
Monroe County, New York, but has been
resident for the last twelve years, Of
Mantua, Portage County, Ohio. At the
age of eleven years he was thrown from
horse, and his knee was injured by the
fall From that time ossi6cation set in,
and the process made advancement, joint
by joint, fer fifteen years, when it had
completed its work. He is thoroughly
and totally ossifed, with the exception
that he can move two of his fingers, and
make the slightest perceptiable motion
with one or two of his toes. He has not
opened his jaws for more than thirty
years, but still he can talk with ease.
OF course he has to be fed-the food
being placed with his lips and left under
the guidance of mother Nature, who mys-
teriously ensures its safe conduct into
the stomach He lies upon his side,
upon low bed or couch, which serves
also as litter, with his feet drawn up
somewhat, and his right hand caught up
near his shoulder he lies thus all day
long, shifting his position but once dur
ing twenty four hours, when he is turned
over on the other side While he is thus
completely ossiGed-a human block of
limestone, as it were-his skin retains its
normal character and condition, and dis
charges the functions perfectly, being,
perhaps, more sensitive, however, to the
touch of any object, as that of fly or
hair, than is usually the case When
the light strikes the skin of his hands or
face, it looks like marble of a yellowish
tinge, brought up to the highest possible
state of polish. He lies there on his
couch like recumbent statue.
His health is good he has an excellent
appetite, and lives wthal hearty life
One is naturally curious to know how his
mind is occupied through all the dreary
hours He cannot read, for he has been to-
tally blind for thirty years. Cut off from
that source. he is neces ily cast back ur-
on his memory, and he has most wond
erful development of his faculty. 1t is
exceedingly tenacious. He remembers
the most minute and apparently trIfing
incident or circumstance has the entire
past-every fact and event in his expe-
rience before him, piled up like strata,
and summons at will, or as occasion re-
quires, occurrences which have faded
from the minds of his friends His re-
collection of localities is wonderful
Places that he had visited years ago. be-
fore struck with blindness, he can now
identify as he rides along-so vivid a re-
collection has he Of the relative position
of things, as bridges, rivers, &c.
He is very expert at mathematical cal
culations, and can with great readiness
give, for example, the number of square
inches in an area the number Of whose
feet or rods is given him.
Of course it must be world of work
to take care of this helpless man, but his
friends have cheerfully borne the sad
burden for more than forty years. He
has now gone to gainesville as county
charge Gcrciand Leader, 9th.