Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-09-28
A CLEAR HEADED CHILD.
A Light of Lamp Visible Through a
Monstrously Developed Occiput.
Cincinnati Enquirer.1 /;

A remarkable freak of nature arrived i
this city yesterday in the way of chile
which has managed to live for seven month
without that bony "dome of thought" whicl
is regarded as essential to the continued ex
istence. Moreover, the child seems to hav
no need for brain; if the eyes may be be
lieved, for, in the absence of skull, tn
head is translucent and almost transparent
while by the aid of lamp properly held, i
may be perceived that the brain cavity il
filed with colorless fluid Nothing exists
in this serum that can be perceived. The
head is larger than the body, the increase O.
size being almost entirely above the temples
and measures twenty inches around
The lower face is perfect, and the child
would be pretty but for the monstrous de-
velopment. The rapid growth of the upper
head has drawn the skin until the eyelids
will not close, and the eyebrows are pulled
up an inch at least above the normal posi-
ton.
When an Enquirer reporter visited the
child yesterday, it was asleep, and it's mother
would not allow it to be awakened for ex-
periments. A rather dim coal oil lamp was
placed behind the monstrous head, and
cleaned through it as though the skin formed
the only obstacle to the light. The veins up
on the forehead and the locks of hair upon
the back Of the head made the only shadows,
as was proved by moving the lamp. The
light behind the head illuminated the whole
Of the interior, being as perceptible upon the
side as the front of the occiput. 1t is claimed
that when the child is awake the light of a
lamp or sunlight falling upon the back of
the head is even more plainly seen through
the eye balls or the nostrils, or through the
ears when placed at one side. This remark
able head is covered with an abundant
growth of auburn, silky hair.
The child has every appearance, except in
the color ofthe skin, ofgood health. Itis fully
developed, very plump, and it is said to be
strong while it has good appetite. In all
its habits it is regular, and like any other
child. That it should have progressed so far
as to be weaned, maintaining good health, and
should have reached the teething period, is
one of the wonders of physiology. Itssenses
are said to be perfect and acute, and it pos
sesses enough Of intelligence to smile family
when tickled, and to recognize food when it
sees it. When the child was born it was
known as the "headless baby" as it seemed
cut off above the ears On line sloping to-
ward the nape Of the neck, while wrinkled
skin covered the top. It suffered greatly and
its life was preserved with difficulty. At
three or four weeks of age the skin began to
fill out, when the child's sufferings ceased
and it enjoyed good health. The growth
has been constant since. The child suffers no
pain and the only inconvenience of being un-
able to sit up, in consequence of its deform-
ity. The tension of the skin is such that it
does not yield as readily to the touch as might
be expected, from its appearance, yet the child
does not seem to experience any trouble from
this, and was sleeping as sweetly yesterday
as anybody's cherub.
The child was born February Goth, of last
year, on Beech Fork Of Twelve Pole Creek,
Wayne County W. Va. It is of the male
sex, and is known as Frankly Canada. The
mother is stopping at the Globe Hotel, corn
II Of Court and Walnut streets.