Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-11-17
A Wonderful Physiological Pho


IL AZ SAkyI v
creature. whose existence was known to
but a few, although she presented the
strongest attraction to the curiosity not
only Of the mere crowd, but also to that
of the most scientific and philosophical
minds of the day. 1t is rare, in these
days Of Barnumism and humoug, and ex.
hibition Of dwarfs, monstrosities and
idiots, such as. Blind Tom n the Aztec
Children, that's case occurs in which del
icacy and sensitiveness, and repugnance to
the popular gaze, are carried to the extent
that they were in the case OF this singular
freak Of disease. When 1t is stated that
in a girl eighteen years Of age the result
Of morbid action commenced in early life
was such that, while the nutrition and
growth of the body were arrested, the
Uranium continued to enlarge beyond all
precedent, 90 as to constitute, az length
an immense globe, Of which the BODY IN
its puny condition, seemed but an append
age-when it Is considered that up TO q
late period this extraordinary person pos.
sessed q certain share OF intelligence y
affection-when it is stated that her moth
er has steadfas,ly refused the most tempt
ing offers Of money I'm one case SZo'ooO)
on the part Of showmen who desired to
exhibit her wonderful child for the aston
ishmen, OF the public, and that she now
refused the most liberal offers OF those
connected with the various medical schools
and museums Of this city to permit her
remains to be preserved Gin the shrine' OF
science;" and, when it 10 added that such
was the curiosity Of those in the immediate
neighborhood, when the fact of the death
became known that it was necessary to
have a policeman to restrain the crowd
from entering the house, our readers will
DO able to Judge that here, indeed, was
something remarkabls-ths most remarka-
BILE case Of its kind on record. 1t was an
instance of that disease which would be
more common did it not usually terminate
the lives of its victims at an early date
we mean hy~drocephalus, or, as it is more
popularity termed, water on the BRAIN
The case has been long under the eye OF
some of the most eminent physicians in
the city, and notices Of it have already
appeared in medical publications. Pro-
baby the most complete is that which
has been prepared by DR.. Seguin, OF this
city, the eminent authority Of Idiocy, and
which appears in his recently issued work
on that subject. From it We learn the
following:
The larges, putting up Of the Uranium.
| BY e6usion, he knows is that presented
BY Miss Maria T, Of this city, who,
at the time Of his observation, was seven
teen years. Her head was thirty-seven
inches in it's circumference, and twenty
seven and q half over the vortex, from
on, ear to the other. Between the same
points, round the base Of the forehead, it
measured only thirteen inches, a subsi-
dence so extreme that it strikes one with
ave-. Lower down the body was q "mere
skeleton" whose thighs were forever
crossed; If Strengthened, they slowly re-
sumed their twisted position; the feet
were thus t~ranspossd from right to left.
were strongly arched and thus protruded
in q stiff mechanical way, like those Of
wooden dolls. Her arms and hands he
compares to wooden forks; they move
slowly but certainly toward their OBJ
iect, Of which the fingers would take
hold BY crossing each other, Gas the
elongated claws Of a prisoner bird do when
seizing a tiny wire" She never assumed
the sitting or standing posture. Her ami.
NAL functions were always good, and she
used, by preference, animal food. She
began to speak when Ave years old. Her
senses were acute. but at twelve years OF
age she lost her sight. A little over q
year ago she had spssms for tho first time.
She then commenced to grow weaker, and
"entered on her period OF decay" Though
her brain was, we may say, drowned In
an ocean Of heterogeneous fluid, it kept
| up active communication with the world.
| She was cheerful, sung and talked-until
lately. used playthings 10 ordinary chill
dren do, liked to see bright objects waving
before her eyes, and ever in cacity she
amused herself BY making paper rustic,
and move before her absent vision, NUT
tering yet, though indistinctly, "Hurrah
for the colon! hurrah for the flag -
touching "reminiscences Of popular festivi-
ties which impressed her at an earlier Pc
Rod. Her gentle disposition, her afec-
lions and family feelings, testified Of the
angel spirit which ministered to her, and
brought 10 her couch everything which
could feed the body and the soul.
DR.. Seguin thus concludes his remarks
on the subject:
1--WE plead guilty of kind Of cowardice
in suppressing, for social considerations,
the name Of the mother, who, for seven
teen years, has devoted herself exclusively
to the happiness Of her strange but loving
child, who seems to be born to show what
q mother can do. But we are carried by
our studiss into another sphere. We can
not avoid thinking that Miss T is
born also to permit Us to study the ulti-
matum organic alterations through which
the intellectual functions may manifest
themselves, and that more honor would
be paid to, her memory by = scrupulous
study Of her organism after her death BY
men like our Dalton, Draper and Brown
-Sequard, and the preservation Of her
remains in the shrines Of science, than by
giving her body to BE- eaten by maggots,
40 if it were the insisni6cant CARCASS Of .
king or . cobbler."
Whether the implied Recommendation
OF the doctor will DO complied with or not
10 yet undecided. Probably it will not,
for we are informed that the body and
head too, (which is moro importantly are
already inferred.