The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-08
CURIOsITIEs OF THE HEART.

The heart is the first organ that makes its ap-
pearance in the animal organism. The first
trace of it is discovered about the end of the
third week of embryonic life when it presents
itself a red spot-a mere central point, as it
were-from which sundry yellow ilaments are
seen shooting forth. This is the germ of that
"fearlully and wonderfully made" instrument
the human heart, accompanied by its principal
bloodvesses.
'sThis organ" says Galen, sis the root of all
the entails and members of the body, and the
very fountain of life, and of all innate and vital
heat" The heart, according to the fancy of the
Peripatetic philosophers, is, in human body,
as the first intelligence in the universe, and as
kind of monarch in it's own little world. The
substance OF this muscular structure-for such it
Is emphatcally-ie very compact and strong, in
order that it may be able to resist the tremendous
strain destined to be put upon 1t, especially by
imprudent people, and the better to preserve the
vital heat, and the spirit which, as another
quaint writer remarks, "would soon breathe out
and vanish away from it, were 1t OF greater
rariety and sottness.n
propose TO present a few Of the many curiosi.
ties found in this little cabinet, at the death OF
its owner.
On dissecting the body of John Pennant, of
London, October T. 1857, his heart was found to
be globuar instead OF the usual form, aud
broader than it was long. The right ventricle
was of an ashy color, and wrinKled, and like
leather purse in appearance. 1t was entirely
empty, ard the fluid usually found in its cover
ing (the pericardum as it is called in ana
tomical language) was entirely dried up. The
left ventricle was three times as large as the
right, and seemed as hard as stone. On opening
it there was found heshy formation wrapped In
various ioids, like a serpent, the body whereof
was as white as the human skin, slippery and
transparent, and apparently painted. 1t had
legs and arms of q flesh color, and nervous fbres
were discernible. The body of it was hollow,
but otherwise solid, and "a gut, or somewhat
analogous, subservient to the uses of nature"
was found in its cavity. This is given on the
authority OF London physician, from whose
Latin narrative it was translated.
We have the account of a man who died sud-
denly after having experienced the usual symp.
toms OF heart disease, to whose right ventricle a
worm was attached. 1t was black in color and
was dead Its shape was 'lke to those worms
found in wood.n
noted thief was subject to palpitation of the
heart. He was put upon the fatal wheel as
punishment, and as soon as life was extinct his
body was quaTtered, and his heart cut open when
yet warm and palpitatng. In its right ventricle
there were found three stones as large as peas.
They were of an ashy color were somewhat
elongated, and weighed about drachm in the
aggregate,
Stones similar to the above-named we're found
in the heart Of the Emperor Macmillan II, who
was also subject to like premonitory symptoms
In the heart OF an tia ian, who died in Paris
while study wing medicine, there was found sim
gle stone weighing several drachms. 1t was as
large as nutmeg, nearly black in color, and
round in form. He had been violently i'll tor
about year.
An old anatomist, named Columbus in dissect-
ing the body of Cardinal Gambara Brixianus at
Rome, found tumor In the left ventricle of his
heart, which was hard, and as large as hens
egg. In another bishops heart pieces OF a
fleshy growth, as large as mans fist, were
found within the right yentrcle, near the ordce
OF the vena caya. They were firmly united He
had died suddenly.
When the body of Pope Urban the Eighth
(l6l4) was opened for the purpose of embalming
it, the left ventricle OF his heart revealed the
presence of piece of bone in the form of the
letter 7. 1t is worthy OF remark that in the gall
bladder five stones were deposited of the size of
flbert.
The heart of man who died at Copenhagen
of consumption was found to be as large as tnat
medumslzed bullock. Before it was opened
the left ventrice felt harder than usual, leading
to the suspicion that some bony substance had
formed there. This was confirmed by the dis
covery at the root OF the aorta of q bone resem-
bling somewhat the figure of the heart, and
Spongy in its nature.
The heart Of Roman student was found want.
ing in the pericardium. He was subject to its
OF syncope, in one of which he died.
The body of noble Roman was found prac-
tically and almost literally heartless. That organ
had dried up. Its covering alone was discover
able on dissection.
AT Venice thief was executed whose heart
was found TO be covered with hair. The same
was the case of ArlstOmenes, the Messenan
whose heart was cut out by the Athenians, on
his recapture as prisoner of war, in order ia
make sure of his not escaping a second time
The Greeks recorded of Hermogenes the learned
rhetorician, that his heart was not only hairy
but larger by far than common. Leonidas the
1noble hearted" leader of the immortal Spartan
band at the famous Straits OF Thermopyle. being
killed in the engagement with the army o
-AerXes, the latter, in revenge, caused his hear
10 be torn out, when 1t, also, was found to bC
covered with hair like the hearts just mentioned
The same is true of the heart Of Lyslnder tnC
Laced@mOnian leader under whom the Spartant
overcame the Atnenians. story gives hIu
the reputation OF q 'ialse-hearted mani in botl
senses of the phrase. The statements In thi
paragraph indicate that hairiness was quite {
frequent abnormal characteristic of the hear
among the ancIents.
Zuneius was slain while fighting yaliantl,
against the Swiss, IN 1861. His body was cu
into four pieces By the enemy, and cast into th,
flames with the purpose OF ObhteratLg all trace
o it. But when, three days afterwards, some o
his friends visited the place, hoping to recover
hls ashes alone, they we're surprised and over
joyed to end his heart untouched by the flames
although the rest OF his body was wholly con
sumed.
In the reign Of Queen Mary, when Cranmer
Archbishop OF Canterbury, was brought to tn
stake, he first thrust his right hand into th,
fire, because with 1t he had signed his recanta
ton. 1t was consumed FIRST, and then the res
OF his body. But his heart like that of Zuine
illus, remained whole.
An instance is given of an English traitor tha
Nrac mt fIan noaa affa