The Democratic advocate., 1881-03-05
The Man Fish of Tennessee.

the following account of most interesting
lusus nature, in the Medical Netcs
A short time since the Tennessee and
Kentucky newspapers contained a start
ling account of wild man lately captured,
with great difficulty, in the Cumberland
mountains. He was 6 feet 10 inches
high, extraordinarily feet of foot, and ex
cessively savage. H. fed chiefly on raw
fish, which he captured 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 fish.
His hands and feet were webbed like the
feet of water-fowls-so the newspaper ac-
counts, 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 curious
and credulous public
The physicians of Louisville were invi-
ted to visit the monster upon his arrival
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 single glance
was sufficient to verify the correctness of
my conjecture. The man-fsh presents
most magnificent example of the form of
icthyosis, or fish skin disease, called icthy-
osis scrpentina, or serpent skin; and his
general effect is more that of a serpent
than of fish. But upon different parts
of his body may be found nearly all the
varieties of iethyosis. The resemblance of
this mans skin to the shed skin of boa
constructor lately brought me by 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 re-
mind one of the skin of the buffalo perch,
the carp, or other large FISH The cuticle
everywhere is dry and harsh, and never
perspires. There seems to be an absolute
absence of fat, and the man is shrunken
and withered, Of dead, ashen-g gray appear
ance, except here and there, where he is
brownish or blackish Though only about
fily years Of age, he impresses one as a
very old man. The skin Of the face is red
and shining, and tightly drawn about the
checks, pulling the lower lids down to such
an extent as to perfectly reverse them,
making 4 horrid case of ectropion. In
some cases his scales are silvery, in others
dark. and again in others are small and
brauny. His hair is very thin and dead
looking. The backs Of his hands are fs-
sured, and on bis palms and soles the euti
Gle is greatly ,hickened. The fingers and
toes seem shorter than natural, and the
skin Is drawn tightly back over both feet
and hands The septum between the hn-
gers and toes seems to extend much far
ther down than usual, thus suggesting the
webbed appearance before alluded to. He
is considerably over six feet in height, and
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 a eongeniial disease, they are
not likely ever to have it. The fshman
fails to present but a single variety Of ie-
thyosis, aud that is the porcupine disease,
as it is called Ia this spines, formed by
| hardened sebaeeOus material, protrude
from the skin, closely packed together
| Wilson states that he has observed them
4 quarter Of an inch long. william reports
having encountered them of an inch in
length have never seen them longer
than an eighth of an inch. Many years
ago two brothers in England having this
form of iethyosis were exhibited in the
shows as porcupine men.
Ictbyosis is one of the rarest Of skin dis
eases am under the impression that
it is more frequent in Europe than in this
country. In ten years l have seen less
than dozen cases. Its cause, as stated
in my report TO the American Dermatolo-
gical Association, in 1857, is scroiula, ac-
cording to my observation and experience.
Il is found in all the walks Of life have
encountered it with equal frequency
among the rich and the poor. 1t is COM
monty considered incurable, and only tenn
porarily and partially mitigable.
The treatment which have found sue
cessful in permanently removing the ic-
thyosis, in more than one case, consists in
the use of the eonstructives, i. G, cod
liver oil, extract of malt, syrup of the
iodine of iron, syrup ofthe hypophOsphites,
etc; attention to the digestive organs, and
by giving the richest and best fat-produ-
cling foods, such as cream, butter, hog
meats, fresh or cured, sugar and other
sweets. A careful and thorough daily an
nointing with some oleaginous substance
is of great value, and prolonged vapOr or
hot water baths should be employed fire.
quently.
\ new way of cooking chickens is to
parboil them and then drop them into hot
lard, a la doughnuts, and fry few mo-
ments This will serve to make variety
in the bill of fare, but will not wholly take
the place of the favorite method of brown
ins in butter. Nice gravy may be made
by adding milk and -four to the butter in
which chickens have been fried.
Papered walls are cleaned by being wip-
y