American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-12-19
4 Human Thermometer.

DIR. PAUL REGNIER, a physician who
has been much noted for his treatment
of the segulG of diseases which result
from the injudicious treatment of
diseases, has at present very
peculiar patient, who may reason
ably be called human thermom-
eter. He is an old Algerian soldier,
named Louis Lamarck, who contracted
liver disease in the service, became ad-
dicted to the use of mercury, and, even
after he was pronounced cured, kept up
the habit of taking that mineral remedy
for several years. At the Paris medical
colleges | have seen the shin bone of
man who died of similar Over-treatment
ratified on the table, when globules Of
mercury would run from it, as if. while
living, he had actually been surcharged
with the metal A more singular result
has occurred in the case of Lamarck,
as celebrated as that of Alexis st. Mar
tin. 1t is common circumstance for
people to be troubled with meteorologi-
cal cOrns, which warn them of the ap-
proach of storms as certainly as any
signal service could do. and it is a notori-
GUS fact that rheumatic patients (es-
pecially those much doctored) have their
aches and pains clearly marked in differ
ent seasons of the year. Poor Lamarck
is worse off. DR.. Regnier tells me that
there is no doubt that the mercury he
has taken exists in its natural form in
his body, and expands and contracts with
variation of temperature in precisely the
same way that the metal does in a Their
mOmeter. The average temperature OF
the human body for males is 50 deg
Fair; for females it is about half degree
lower; but this steady heat which is Kept
up in a healthy condition is the result of
chemico physiological action, which in
morbid conditions is variously affected
In winter and summer n thermometer
placed in the axilla will mark its ninety
eight in ordinary human beings: unfOr-
tunately for Lamarck he is exlraOrdina-
~. Even the warmth of bed-clothes
will put him into such a condition that
he cannot rise until he has found his
normal mark-his temperate" SO to say
which is tribe above ninety eight
His sight is greatly affected, and his
eyes have singular metallic CLEAN,
somewhat like the hue of plumbago,
newly cut. When the room in which he
he sees distinctly and can read the
smallest type, but when the temperature
rises above or falls below this point he
loses all the distinctness of the type, and
at seventy degrees becomes totally blind.
In a similar manner his taste and hear
ing are affected. He loses taste at sixty
five degrees, and touch at twenty. Hear
ing seems the most difficult of his senses
to affect, though at any marked variance
from his temperate" he complains of
drumming in his ears, or a sensation as if
ty were buzzing in them. Most Gu
rious, in physiological point of view, is
the effect of temperature on his sense of
touch. A ball of iron, heated sufficient
1y just not 10 disintegrate the flesh seems
cold; if made cold it seems hot. Ex-
posed to the air on winter morning,
poor Lamarck becomes utterly rigid and
unable to move his muscles at all There
are small hopes of his living long, but
while he does live he will be the great
physiological study of the day.-Paris
Cor. N. i. Graphic