Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-17
A HUMAN PHENOMENON.
A Man wish . Portable Heart Revolving Bow els
snd Two sets OF Ribs

From the Port Jervls Tri- States Union.)
The most remarkable specimen OF
| physical organization we have ever
seen is Mr.. George Thomas, Brazil
ian, who has been in Port Jervis since
Thursday of last week. H. has been
exhibiting himself in various places
in the village, and has puzzled not
only the people but the physicians
and surgeOns-they are unable TO
understand his anatomy He can
move his heart to any part of the
body al pleasure, and eveA stop its
beating for 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.
de causes a revolving motion of the
bowels, both upward and downward,
the abdomen undulating and resemb.
ling the corrugating motions of flag
or piece of cloth when disturbed
by the wind. He can so arrest his
pulse that for short time no one
can discern that he has any. Anoth-
er wonderful thing that be foes is to
bend an iron bar, fve-eig hths OF an
inch in thickness, by striking it
across his left arm. The muscles of
his arms he so contracts that the
flesh feels as hard as wood.
Mr.. Thomas is certainly wonder>
full specimen of physical construction,
and he has puzzled the scientific men
of the world At our request be cali
ed in our Office yesteday and gave Us
his history, from which we CLEAN the
following:
He was born in Brazil, South
America, the 4th of March, 1920
HE father was an Ethiopian and his
mother wa. Spanish woman. When
four years old he was taken to Lou
don, England, by his mother, and was
there examined by surgeon Kent.
The latter took him to Edinburgh,
Scotland, where he made an incision
near the heart, and discovered that
he had no diaphragm, and that the
heart was enclosed in pericardium,
but is suspended by two cords in
stead of one. Some years afterwards
be was given o like examination in
Paris by Surgeon Louis, aud with
same result. None of the scientific
men of Europe understood his struc-
ture, and they advised him to come
to America and see if our learned
men could compI ehend his formation.
But no one here had before seen such
a creature, and could not understand
his organization. Ii was in 800
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 sur
geons, among them Professor Smith,
of Baltimore. Since that year he
has been in this country.
His home is in England, and he
says that he likes that country much
better than this-that BIS is treated
as a gentleman, here as a worthless
travelling vagrant. He is not mar
ried, and bis parents are now dead.
He has brother VINO is six feet
three inches in height, but who can
contract himself so that be is but
three feet three inches tall. This is
the only popularity. There was
nothing remarkable about their
mother, but the father was apparent
~ destitute of RIBS. The latter at
one time-a great many years ago
worked upon the Erie Canal and Iiv-
ed at Lockport. George has cous-
in who can throw his left hip to his
right side and rice versa. The for
mer is in good health, weighs l65
pounds, is about five feet eight inch
os in height, and appears to be not
over thirty years old.