Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-01-02
HUMAN PHENOMENON.

The most remarkable specimen OF physlcal
organization we have ever seen is Mr. Geo.
Thomas, Brazilian, who has been in Port
Jervis since Thursday of last week. He has
been exhibiting himself in various places in
the village, and has puzzled physicians and
surgeons; they are unable to understand his
anatomy. He can move his heart to any part
of the body at pleasure, and even stop its beat
ing 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 undulating and resembling the cor
rugating motions of flag or piece of cloth
when disturbed by the wind. He can so ar.
rest his pulse that for short time one cannot
discern that he has any. Another wonderful
thing that he does is to bend an iron bar five
eightbs 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 a wonderful spec
linen of physical construction, and he has puz-
zled the scientific men of the world. At
our request he called in our Office yesterday,
and gave US his history, from which we CLEAN
the following:
He was born in Brazil, South America,
on the 4th of March 1920. His father was
Ethiopian and his mother Spanish woman.
When four years old, he was taken to Lon
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 not enclosed in pericardium, but is sus.
pended by two cords, instead of one. Some
years afterward, he was given an examination
in Paris by Surgeon Lois, with the same re-
suit. None of the scientific men of Europe
understood his structure, and they advised
him to come to America. to see if our learned
men could comprehend the formation. But
no one here had before seen such creature,
and could not understand his organization.
ut was in 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 surgeons, among them
Professor Smith, of Baltimore. Since that
year he has been in this country. His home
is in England, and he says he likes that coun.
try better than this-there he is treated as
gentleman, here as a worthless vagrant. He
is not married, and his parents are now dead.
He has brother who is six feet three inches
in height, but who can contract himself so
that he is but three feet three inches tall.
This is the only popularity. There was
nothing remarkable about their mother, but
the father was apparently destitute Of ribs.
The latter at one time-a great many years
ago-worked upon the Erie Canal and lived
in Lockport. George has cousin who can
throw his left hip to his right side and vice
versa. The former is in good health, weigh
165 pounds, is about FIVE feet eight inches in
height, and appears to be not over thirty years
old.
Mr. Thomas goes to Middleton to-day. He
will visit Albany and return to this village in
three or four weeks, soon after which he in
tends to bid farewell to America.-Port Jervis
Tti-State Union.