River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-03-04
A WONDERFUL HEAD
Charles Erling, rs Years Old. Whose
Head, TwO-Fifths the Weight of His
Body, Has Compelled Him TO Lie A bed
all His Life
Philadelphia Times.

A most remarkable specimen Of man,
after existing for many years in the
wilds of Jersey, unknown TO the outside
word, has been brought to this city and
may be seen at 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 PEELED to lie abed continually. His
name is Charles Erling, and he was
born in Burlington county, N. ]. He
lacks one inch of being five feet in
length, but would probably have grown
longer had he been in the habit of TAX
ing physical exercise. His head APP.
pears to be 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 es-
timated weight at present is thirty
pounds, which is two-iifths of his entire
weight. The inner corner 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 fore
head.
Ii it were IL case of hydrocephalus it
would doubtless be less remarkable, but
there is every physical evidence in sup
port Of statements made by several
physicians that it is neither more nor
less than an abnormal growth of skull
and brain. The head is solid, and its
pats nearly proportionate except the
forehead, which, in both height and
breadth, measures about one and half
times as much as it would if symmet-
rical with the other parts of even so
abnormally large 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 meas
urement around the chest is forty-four
inches and around the waist thirty-five
inches. His legs, however, are no thick
er than those of any yearold boy Of
OAdlildly oIHIs
He extends his hand to visitors, bids
them good-day and chats with them in
a childish manner. He seems to have
an evenly balanced mind, but it is that
of a prattling infant. He cannot read,
and never would try to learn even the
alphabet, as his neck, although no
weaker than might be expected in a
person who has been always confined
to bed, was not strong enough to move
his head without giving him pain 1t is
thought that he would not be so child
lsh had he been accustomed TO sights
and sounds / ey ond the limits of bed
room which few except his parents and
their small number of Jersey neigh
bors ever entered. His parents have
had no child but Charles. The father
is dead, but the mother is with him
here. Both parents we're healthy, of or
binary stature, and possessed the aver
age physical development. They were
engaged in agricultural pursuits about
two miles from the village of Bridge
borough. which is league from River.
side, n. j. A notice of the case got in.
to rural newspaper not long ago, and
this catching the eye of the saloon
keeper, he sought out the humble home.
stead and arranged to have Charles
kept at his place for exhibition.