The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-06-12
A HOOsIER MONsTROsITY.
A baby with one more Head than
an ordinary baby has any need
OF.
IFrom the InaI.napoII. Iourn.I. Jan.

-
child Of Mr.. and Mrs. Stan brau2h, was,
:, al the time of its birth, about the average
;, size, perhaps little above, and would
y weigh, without the unnatural head
about seven pounds. 1t is perfect,
0 formed in every other particular, has 4
well formed head OH the upper extrem.
iiy, and it gives every indication of per-
> feet health. Ii is voracious feeder, a
: good sleeper,and possesses sound lungs,
which are used with force and effect
when occasion requires. At the terIni-
nation and growing ont Of the spine is
IA strange formation. representing. in
shape, a human head. The neck arches
up and ascends the spine. curving
around In manner similar TO the nat
lural neck OF the average infant, into the
} back of the head, which j. OF perfect
} shape until reaches the pont where the
)eycs ought 10 he. Ii cannot to be said
10 resemble human head complete. Ell
lther, Tor there is no ossisied covering /:
but IL can more truly be compared 10
the human brain. with large cartilage
nous envelope. which, with age.displavs
signs Of hardening, and may eveniuate
in an orthodox skull. AT present, how
ever. there is no bone, save at the apex
of the head, which presents a smooth,
hard surface. and at tic base. the neck
merges Into the head. where the same
solidity is manifest. The head rcars il
self up in very decided manner, not
lquiie in line, but leaning over to tile
left little. The portion of the cxcrcs-
cence representing the face extends over
and across the feshy portion of the
lrin l.f In linz
of human features, though, il must be
confessed. not remarkably legihle or
preposscssing. Oblong red raised marks,
inclosing slight indentations. mark the
position of the ears and eyes. The
cheeks are quite prominent aud plainly
defined, and the forehead is of excellent
development. Where The uoulh should
be located there is u raw place. the re-
mains Of au ulcer that is rapidly heal
ing up, The cuticle growing over IL nice
Nv. There will rcniau n scar, aud per-
haps cavity. The chin runs into "a
shapeless mass Of soft. puly flesh. and
there rall, is no similarity TO n face be-
low a point about midway between the
eyes and mouth.
From frontal view the general out
lines of a human countcnancc are plain
" recognizable from ouf OF the nnSighi-
~ proiub"rance. though badly delorm-
cd and incomplete.
la spite OF all
Exports 10 KEEP THE NATTER QUIET.
The strange occurrence was soon a sub
jcct Of town gossip. aud scores of peo-
pie called at the house daily to get
glimpse of the wonder. The phvsiriin
gave strict orders Ia allow no omc To cx-
anime the babe. AMI the visitors invar-
ably went away without having their
curiosity appeascd. Doctors Gray and
Cottingham were allowed one proie>-
sional glance M il ior the sake OF SCI
cncc. but none others. save The father
and grandmother. who attended The
mother through her sickness. IL was
thought neither wise nor eNpedi,nt 10
exhibit the two-hcadcd child until il
grew older and stronger, and better able
10 bear exposure.
THE THEORY or TIIF CAUSE or THE NAL
FORMATION.
nr. IIains will not hazard an opinion
whether there is brain SUBSTANCE in the
unnatural head or not. but is inclined to
think there Is. Dr. Gray was more decid-
he could feel the palpitation OF the brain
by placing his hand on the exterior.-
Neither of the doctors was prepared to
advance any theory for the phenomenon
but i'm the absence of a better explana-
tion were more than half inclined to adj
opt what the profession fippantly de-
nominate as the "old wonians theory"
and truth compcls the acknowledge .
ment that the ancient female is ahead in \
this case
1t is claimed by the believers in the
old woman's doctrine. that a mother can
produce in her offspring certain mental
and physical characteristics by concen-
trating her mind in one direction dur
ing the period Of pregnancy. For in &
stance, they assert that the defect known
as hair-lips are caused BY the mother
dwelling morbidly on the subject, aud
fearing lest her child should be thus
cursed. Ii mother becomes frighten-
ed nj any object before the birth of
child there il apt TO be deformity /,
traceable to this cause. "A hundred sim |
liar examples might be cited in support
of this theory, but as the reader has ere
;his caught the idea. no more citations
are necessary in explanation of theory
with which everybody is already toler-
ably familiar.
But to return TO the thread Of the sto-
ry. Mrs Staubraugh. the mother OF the
monstrosity in question. was shown n
photograph of brace of doublcts cx-
hibited last year by Barnum. by neigh
Tor last tall, and was al once taken"