The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-05-15
A HAIRY FACED FAMILY.

a Burmese family, the whole of which,
through several generations, have exhib-
tied a remarkable development of long hair
over their entire faces.
"The case says Mr.. Tegetmeier, "is
one of the most interesting examples on
record of the hereditary transmission of 4
singular and very abnormal natural varia-
ton through several generations. | feel
bound, even at the risk of repeating, to
some extent, the previous statements, to
give, as far as practical, the history of
those singular people at length. Nearly
| fifty years since, Mr.. John Crawford, SO
well known to ethnologists for his researches
into the history of languages of the inhab
itants of the Malay peninsula and adjacent
! countries, described in his journal of an
Embassy from the Governor General of
! India to the Court of Ava hairy man
named Shwe Maon, and his daughter, Ma
phoon." Mr.. Crawford wrote: "We have
heard much of person said to be covered
all over with hair, and who, it was insisted
upon, more resembled an ape than human
being-a description, however, | am glad
to say, which was by no means realized by
his appearance. Having expressed a curl
osity to see this individual the king politely
sent him over to our dwelling some days
ago, and DR.. Wallich and | took down on
and his history. His name was Shwe-
Maon, and he stated himself to be thirty
years of age. Saubwa, as the chief of the
country, presented him to the king a
curiosity when a child of five years of age,
| and he had remained in Ava ever since.
His hight was 5 feet 81 inches, which is
about the ordinary stature of the Burmese.
His form was slender, if compared with
the usually robust make of the Hindoo-
| Chinese race, and his constitution was
rather delicate. In his complexion there
was nothing remarkable, although upon
the whole he was rather fairer than the
ordinary run of Burmese. The color of
his eyes was dark brown, not so intense
as that of the ordinary Burmese. The same
thing may be said of the hair of the head,
which was also little finer in texture and
less copious. The whole forehead, the
cheeks, the eyelids, the nose, including
portion of the inside, the chin-in short,
the whole face, with the exception of the
| lips-were covered with fine hair. On
the forehead and cheeks this was eight
inches long, and on the nose and chin about
four inches. In color it was of silvery
gray; it's texture was silky, lank, and
straight. The posterior and inferior sur
face of the ears, with the inside of the
external ear, were completely covered with
hair Of the same description as that on the
face, and about eight inches long; it was
this chiefly which contributed to give his
whole appearance, at first sight, an unnat-
ural and almost inhuman aspect. He may
be strictly said to have neither eyelashes,
eyebrows, nor beard, or at least they were
supplanted by the same silky hair which
enveloped the whole face. He stated that
when a child the whole of this singular
| covering was much farer than at present.
| The whole body, with the exception of the
hands and feet was covered with hair of
the same texture and color as that now
described, but generally less abundant; it
was most plentiful over the spine and Shout
ders, where it was five inches long; over
the breast it was about four inches; it was
most scanty on the bare arms. the legs
thighs, and abdomen. We thought it not
| improbable that this singular integument
might be periodically or occasionally shed,
and inquired; but there was no ground for
this surmse-it was quite permanent"
| Twenty years since, these hairy people
were seen and described by Capt. H. Youe,
in his " Narrative of the Mission sent by
| the Governor General of India to the Court
of Ava" By this time Shwe- Moan's child
| had grown into a woman of thirty, and the
abnormal growth of hair had increased
until it covered the whole body. Captain
Youle states:
| "The whole of her face was more or less
covered with hair. On part of the cheek,
and between the nose and mouth, this was
confined to a short down, but over all the
rest of the face was thick, silky hair of a
brown color, paling about the nose and
chin. four or five inches long. At the aln
of the nose, under the eye, and on the
cheek bone, this was very fully developed;
| b,,t II in ba hot
most extraordinary. Except the upper
tip, no part of the ear was visible. All the
rest was filled and velled with large mass
of silky hair growing apparently out of
every part of the external organ, and hang
ing a pendant lock to a length of eight or
ten inches. The hair over her forehead was
brushed so as to blend with the hair of the
head, the latter being dressed (as usual
with her countrywomen( a Ia Chineise. 1t
was not SO thick as to conceal her forehead.
The nose was densely covered with hair,
as no animals is that know Of and with
long locks curving out and pendant, like
the wisps of a fine Skye terriers coat, had
a most strange appearance. The beard was
pale in color, and about four inches in
length, seemingly very soft and silky.
Poor Maphoon's manners were good and
modest her voice soft and feminine and
her expression mild and not unpleasing,
after the first instructive repulsion was over
come. Her appearance rather suggested
the idea of a pleasant looking woman mas
querading, than that of any thing brutal.
This discrimination was, however, very
difficult to preserve in sketching her like
ness.
Her neck, bosom, and arms appeared to
be covered with fine pale down, scarcely
visible in some lights. She made a move as
if to take off her upper clothing, but reluct
antly, and we prevented it. Her husband
and two boys accompanied her. The elder
boy, about orfive years old, had Meth
ing abnormal about him. The youngest,
who was fourteen months old, and still at
the breast, was evidently taking after his
mother. There was little hair on the head,
but tho child's ear was full of long silky
floss, and it could boast a moustache and
beard of pale silky down that would have
cheered the heart of many a cornet. In
fact, the appearance of the child agrees
almost exactly with what Mr.. Crawford
says of Maphoon herself as an infant.
This child is thus the third in descent
exhibiting this strange popularity; and in
this third generation, as in the two preced-
ing, this popularity has appeared only in
one individual.
Maphoon has the same dental popularity
also lHdt lCl Hdu-tHo dUscuCo VI
the canine teeth and grinders, the back
part of the gums presenting merely hard
ridge. Still she chews pawn like her neigh
bors."
Six or seven years since, the family were
again seen by Capt Haughton, and photo
graphed. BY this time Maphoon's young
est child was approaching manhood, and,
the early indications above alluded to hav-
ing been fulfilled, he demonstrated the per-
petuation of this singular variation through
three generations.
The investigation of montrosities of the
kind at present under consideration has an
interest beyond that of the qualification of
mere vulgar curiosity. The hereditary
transmission of accidental variations throws
much light on the vexed question of the orr |
gin of species, and it is exceedingly inter- |
esting to note how readily variations occur
ring naturally, are perpetuated in the off |
spring, while malformations or mutilations
produced artificially never show any ten
dency to reproduction. The combs and |
wattles of game fowls have been cut off for
$50 generations, yet a game cock ready |
dubbed for the cockpit never issued from
an egg. 1t would be indeed a sad condi-
tion of thinps if the limitations of man. |