The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-12-20
WHOLE NUMBER 6s1
tFron the Port Jervis rrtStatss Union
A HUMAN PHENOMENON.
A Man with q Portable Heart, ReyoIy-
ing Bowels, and Two SETS OF Ribs.

The Eost remarkable specimen of
physical organization we have ever
seen is Mr.. George Thomas, s Bra
lillian, who has been in Port Jervis
since Thursday of last week. He
has been exh biting himself in var
ious places in the villsge, snd has
puzzled not only the people but the
physicians and surgeons-they s-e
unable to understand h,s anatomy.
He can move his heart to any part Of
the body at pleasure, ard even stop
its beating for nearly sixty seconds.
he has two sets Of ribs, one of
which he can move from its position
to the front of the body, covering
the abdomen. He causes revolving
motion of the bowels, both upward
and downward, the abdomen undu-
latiDg and resembling the corrugsting
motions ofs flag or piece OF cloth
when disturbed by the wind. He can
so arrest his pulse that for c short
time one cannot discern that he has
any. Another wonderful thing he
does is to bend an iron bar nyS--
eighths OF an inch in thickness by
striking it scross his left arm. The
muscles of his arms be so contracts
that the flesh feels as hard 50 wood.
Mr.. Thomas is certtinly wonder
ful specimen OF physical construction,
and he has puzzled the scientific men
Of the world. At our request he cali
ed in our office yesterday and gave
as his history, from which we CLEAN
the following:
Hewss born in Brszil, South Amer
ics, the 4,h of March, 1920. His
father was an Ethiopian end his moth
er Spanish woman. When four
years old he was taken to London,
England, by his mother, and was there
examined by Surgeon Kent The
latter took him to Edinburgh, Scoat-
land, where he made en- ineision near
the heart, and discovered that he had
no diaphragm, and that the heart was
not inclosed in q pericsrdium, but is
suspended by two cords instead Of
one. Some years afterward he was
given like examination in Paris by
Surgeon Louis, with thesame result.
None OF the scientific men of Europe
understood his structure, and they
advised him to come to America and
see if our learned men could compre-
hend his formation. But no cne here
had before seen such 9 creature, and
could not understand his organization.
1t was 1868 when he came here, and
in 1865 he went back to Europe. In
1867 he was at the Paris Exposition,
and was examined by several eminent
among them Professor
Smith, Of Baltimore. Since that year
he has been in this country. His
home is in England, and be says he
likes that country much better than
this-there he is treated as q gentle
man, here as worthless, travelling
vsgrant. He Is not married, and his
parents are not dead. He has q
brother who is six feet three inches
in height, bat who can contract him.
self so that he is but three feet three
inches tall. This is his only peculi-
arity. There was nothing remarkable
about their mother, but the father
was apparently destitute Of ribs. The
latter at one time--s great Inany
years ago-worked upon the Erie
Canal, and lived in Lockport.
George has cousin VINO can throw
his left hip to the right side, snd sses
versa. The former Is in good health,
weighs 165 pounds, is about five
feet eight inches in height, aud ap-
pears to be not over 30 years old.
Mr.. Thomas goes to Middletogn
to-day. He viii visit Albsny and
return to this village in three or four
weeks, soon after which be intends TO
bid farewell to America.