Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-22
" A Man Fish,"

A short time since the Tennessee and
Kentucky newspapers contained astart-
ling account of q wild man lately cap
tured, with great difficulty, in the Cum
berland mountains. He was six feet
ten inches high, extraordinarily fleet of
foot, and excessively savage. He fed
chiefly on raw fish, which he captured
without artificial aid. He spent much
of his time in the water, and after DE.
ing captured he had to be frequently
bathed. He was covered with shining
scales, like those of fish. His hands
and feet were webbed like the feet OF
water-fowls-.so the newspaper accounts,
with many embellishments, ran. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that much of
this story was only showman's talk, ut
tered to attract the attention of the Gu
rious and credulous public.
The physicians of Louisville were in
vited to visit the monster upon his ar
rival in the city prior to his general ex-
hibition. Among others visited the
norman but before seeing the case
1 had diagnosed it as one of icthyosis,
and single glance was sufficient to
verify the correctness of my conjecture.
The man-fish presents most magnifi-
cent example of the form of icthyosis
or fish skin disease, called icthy SER
pentina or serpent skin; and his gen.
eral effect is more that of serpent than
of a fish. But upon different parts of
his body may be found nearly all the
varieties of icthyosis. The resemblance
of this man s skin to the shed skin of a
boa constructor, lately brought me by a
friend from the geological garden in
London, is almost perfect. About his
Joints the skin is loose and wrinkled,
hanging in folds, and the scales are
large, suggesting the skin of lizard or
alligator about their limbs and belly.
His arms and legs remind one of the
skin of the buffalo perch, the carp, or
other large fish. The cuticle every
where is dry and harsh, and never per-
spires. There seems to be an absolute
absence of fat, and the man is shrunken
and withered, of dead ashen-gray ap-
pearance, except here and there, where
he is brownish or blackish. Though
only of about fifty years of age, he inn
presses one as very old man. The
skin of the face is red and shining, and
tightly drawn about the cheeks, pulling
the lower lids down to such an extent as
to perfectly evert them, making hor-
rid case of ectropion. In some places
his scales are silvery, in others dark,
and again in others are small and bran
ny. His hair is very thin and dead
looking. The backs of his hands are
assured, and on his palms and soles the
cuticle is greatly thickened. The
fingers and toes seem shorter than natu-
raj, and the skin is drawn tightly back
over both feet and hands. The septum
between the fingers and toes seem to
extend much further down than usual,
thus suggesting the webbed appearance
before alluded to. He is considerably
over six feet in height, and is a man of
a low order of intelligence. Heis mar
ri d, and is the father of several chill
dren, none of whom, fortunately, in
herit his malady and as icthyosis is al
most if not always o congenial disease,
they are not likely ever to have it. The
fish-man fails to present but a single
variety of icthyosis, and that is the por-
cupine disease, as it is called. In this,
spines, formed by hardened sebaceous
material, protrude from the skin, close
ly packed together. Wilson states that
he has observed them quarter of an
inch long. william reports having ell
countered them of an inch in length.
I have never seen them longer than an
eight of an inch. Many years ago two
brothers, in England, having this form
of icthyosis, were exhibited in the
shows as porcupine men.
Icthyosis is one Of the rarest of skin
diseases. I am under the impression
that it is more frequent in Europe than
in this country. In ten years have
seen less than dozen cases. Its cause,
as I have stated in my report to the
American Dermatological Association,
in 1877, is scrofula, according to my
observation and experience. 1t is
found in all the walks of life. Ihave
encountered it with equal frequency
among the rich and the poor. 1t is
commonly considered incurable, and
only temporarily and partially miti-
gable.
The treatment which / have found
successful in permanently removing
ichthyosis, in more than one case, con-
sists in the use Of the constructives i. e.
codliver oil, extract of malt, syrup Of
the iodide of iron, syrup of the by
pophosphites, &c. attention to the di-
gestive organs, and by giving the rich
est and best fat producing foods, such
as cream, butter, hog meat fresh or
cured, sugar and other sweets. A care
full and thorough daily amounting with
some oleaginous substance is of great
value, and prolonged vapor or hot
water baths should be employed fire.
quently. - L. p. Vandell, NJ. u. in
Louisville Medical NepS.
The PLAN TO TURN THE SEA INTO THE