The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-02
"a MAN FISH"
Tho Curious Anilction Of n Tall Backyvoods-
man from Tennessee.

Tho Curious Aniiction Of n Tall Backwoods
man from Tennessee.
A short time since the Tennessee an6
Kentucky newspapers contained start.
ling account of a wild man lately
captured, with great difficulty, in the
Cumberland mountains. He was si1
feet ten inches high, extraordinarily
feet of foot, and excessively savage. He
fed chiefly on raw fish, which he cap.
tured without artificial aid. He spent
much of his time in the water, and after
being captured he had to be frequently
bathed. He was covered with shining
scales, like those of a fish. His hands
and feet were webbed like the feet OF
water-fowl7-so thenewspaper accounts,
with many embellishments, ran. It is
scarcely necessary to say that much OF
this story was only showruan's talk,
uttered to attract the attention of the
curious and credulous public.
The physicians of Louisville were
invited to visit the monster upon his ar
rival in the city, prior to his general
exhibition. Among others / visited the
norman; but before seeing the case
had diagnosed it as one of icthyosis, and
the correctness of my conjecture. The
man fish presents most magnificent
example of the form of icthyosis or fish
skin disease, called icthyosis serpentina,
or serpent skin; and his general effect
is more that of serpent than of fish.
But upon different parts of his body
may be found nearly all the varieties Of
icthyosis. The resemblance OF this
mans skin to the shed skin of boa
constructor, lately brought me by q
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
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 about fifty years of age, he i'm
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 horrii
case of ectropion. In some places his
scales are silvery, in others dark, and
again in others are small and branny.
His hair is very thin and looking.
The backs of his hands are hssured, and
on his palms and soles the cuticle is
seem shorter than natural, and the skin
Is drawn tightly back over both feet and
hands. The septum between the fingers
and toes seems 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 man of low order of
intelligence. He is married, and is the
father of several children, none of whom,
fortunately, inherit his malady; and as
icthyosis is almost, if not always con-
genital disease, they are not likely ever
to have it. The fsh-man fails to pre-
sent but a single variety OF icthyosis,
and that is the porcupine disease, as it
is called. In this. spines, formed by
hardened sebaceous material, protrude
from the skin, closely packed together.
Wilson states that he has observed them
quarter of All inch long. william re-
ports having encountered them of an
inchin length. l have never seen them
longer than an eighth 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. [ am under the impression
that it is more frequent in Europe than
IN this country. In ten years 1 have
seen less than dozen cases. Its cause,
as 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. l have encountered il
with equal frequency among the rich
and the poor. II is commonly consid.
cred incurable, and only temporarily
and partially mitigable
The treatment which I have found
successful in permanently removing
icthyosis, in more than one case, con-
sists in the use OF the constructivea,
d. G., cod-liver OIL. extract of malt, sirup
OF the iodide of iron, sirup of the hypo-
phosphites, ETC.. attention to the
digestive organs, and by giving the
richest and best fat-producing foods,
such as cream, butter, hog meat, fresh
or cured, sugar and other sweets. A
careful and thorough daily amounting
with some oleaginous substance is Of
great value, and prolonged vapor or hot
water baths should be employed fire.
quently.-Dr. Il. p. YandeN, in Louis.
Ville Medical NeaUs.