The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-01-15
4 Human Phenomenon.

A MAN WITH PORTABLE HEART, RE
RIBS.
The most rcma kahlc specimen o!
physical organization we iave ever
secn is. Mr.. George Tholnas, Il Brs-
lillian, who has been in Po,t JcrviS
since Thursday Of last week. H.. ha>
been exhibiting himself in various
place, in the village, aud has puzzled
not only the people but the pl y ician.
und surgeons-thcy are unable t.
understand his anatomy. lie car
mo?e his heart to any part Of the bod,
at pleasure, and even stop its beating
for nearly sixty seconds. II, has two
sets of ribs, one OF which he can move
from its position to the front Of tie
bo!y, covering the abdomen. H.
causes a revolving motion of the bow
els, both upward and downward, the
abdomen undulating and resembling
the corrug .ting motions Of a tiAg or
piece of cloth when disturbed 10y the
wind. lie can 50 arrest his palse that
for short time on, { mot Gi.cern
that he has any. An ,tticr wonderful
thing that he does is to bend an iron
bar five c.cights of an inch in thickn IS
by St, liking it ac.oS1 hi left arm. The
muscles of his arm he 80 contract.
that the flesh feels as hard as wood
M:. Th1mas is certainly 'woa-
dcIful specimen Of physical con>truc.
tiou, and has puzz ci til" scientific
men Of the world. At our request
he called in our Office yesterday aud
gave Us his history, from which We
CLEAN the following
lie vas born in Brazil, South
America, Oh the 4th of March, 1920.
His f1:hcr was an Ethiopian and hi
n4thcc 4 Spanish woman. when
Fngr gears oIl BE- waa t,keu t. Lon>
duo, ~, land, by hls tuoi:.c , ana va:
thc.c examined by Surgeon Ne",.
The later took hm to EdinhNrG,
Scotland, where he made ali inc,aiOI
near the heart, aud di,covercd that
he had no diaphragm, and that the
heart WAS not enclosed in u pcricur.
dium, but is suspended by two cords
Instead of one. Some years after
wards he WAS given an examination in
Paris by Surgeon Lois with same
result. None Of the scientific men
of Europe understood his structure,
and they advised him to como to
America to Sc if our learned men
could comprehend his formation. But
no one here had before seen such a
creature, and could not understand
his organization. 1t was in 1868
when he caue here, and in 1865 he
won't back to Europe. In 1867 he
was at the Paris Expositio,, and was
examined By several cminent.surgcons,
among them Professor Smith Of B .lti.
more. Since that year be has heen
ia this country. iii, home is in I'm -
land, and he srys hc likes that coun-
try better than this-thcrc he is
troated as a gentleman, here as IL
worthless vagrant. IIc is not married
and his parents are now dead. lie
has brother who is six feet three
inches in height, but who can contrAc,
himself so that he is but three feet
three inches tall. This is his only
markablo about their mother, but
the father was apparently dcstilu c
of ribs. The latter at one timc---u
great many years ago-wo'kcd npor
the Erie canal and lived in Lockport
George has cousin who can throw
his Lett hip to his right side and ric
uerSa. . The former is in good health
weighs l65 pounds, is but five feet
eight iurhc, in height, and appcar
to DC not over 80 years old.
Mr.. Thomas goes to Middleton
to-day. He will visit Albany and re
turn to this village in three or fon
weeks, soon after which he intends t
bid farewell to America. - Port Jervi
Iri. States Union.
Tho Rio Indian