The Newtown bee., 1880-02-25
1yA WONDERFUL HEAD.
Ohsrles Erifbg. Twenty-Eight Years oid. Whose Head, TwO-Fffths the Wefaht of His Body, Has gompeIied Him to Lie Abed All His ytfe


 Chsrles Eriing. Twenty-Eixht Years | oid. Whose Head. TwO-Effths the Weight of His Body. Has GompeIed
 Him to Lie Abed All His Life.
 A most remarkable specimen of man alter existing for many years in the Wllds of Jersey: unknown to the outside world, has been brought to this city and may now be seen at a saloon on Walnut street. Ever since his birth he has been unable to stand upon his feet, on account of the weight of his head, which is of abnormal size. For twenty eight years, the length of his life, he has been com- pelled to lie abed continually His name is Charles Erlng, and he was born in Burlington county, New Jersey. He lacks one inch. of being five feet in length. but would probably have grown longer had he been in the habit of taking physical exercise. His heads appears 10 be aoout six times the ordinary size, and, his mother says, has always been as disproportionate in weight to the rest of his body as it is now.
 The measurement around the head at the middle of the forehead is thirty-three inches. while the line passing over the crown and under the chin is forty-four inches. Of course the head could never be weighed accurately, but its estimated weight at present is eighty pounds, Which Is twO-tifths of his entire weight. the inner corners of the eyes are four inches apart, the distance from temple to temple is thirteen inches. and the bridge of the nose is six inches below the upper line of the forehead.
 If 1t were case of hydrocephalus (dropsy of the brain) it would doubtless be less remarkable, but there is every physical evidence in support of state ments made by several physicians that 1t IS neither more nor less than an ab- normal growth of skull and brain. The head is solid, and it's parts nearly pro- portionate except the forehead, which in both height and breadth measures about one and half times as much as 1t would if symmetrical with the other parts of even so abnormally large a head. The trunk of the body is about the same in size as that of many big fat boy who walks the streets, but the muscles are soft and weak for want of activity. The measurement around the chest is forty.four inches and around the waist thirty-tive inches. His legs, how ever, are no thicker than those of an eight-year old boy of ordinary size.
 He extends his hand to visitors, bids them good-day and chats with them in childish manner. He seems to have an evenly balanced mind, but itis that of prattling infant. He cannot read and never would try to learn even the " s-'----'--lei leis- neck, although no son who has boo, ;,, bed, was not strong enough 10 nG'v head without giving him pain. It is thought that he would not be so child ish had he been accustomed to sights and sounds beyond the limits of bed room which few except his parents and their small number of Jersey neighbors ever entered. His parents have had no child but Charles. Tbe father is dead, but the mother is with him here. Both parents were healthy, of ordinary stat ure, and possessed the average physi- cal development. They were engaged in agricultural pursuits about two miles from the village of Bridgeborough, which is league from Riverside, New Jersey. A notice of the case got into a rural newspaper not long ago, and this catching the eye of the proprietor oi the saloon he sought out the humble home stead and arranged to have Charles kept at his place for Phila- de1p7tin Times.