San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-15
4 VERY QUEER PATIENT.
, IA. % Tears Old who HsslSsvsr Had Halt
or Teeth.
Philade,phia Press.

or Teeth.
Philadelphia Press.
A remarkable man, now living in
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, was
recently exhibited before the Philadel-
phia Medical Society. Peter Wend,
ling was born forty-eight years ago az
Mount Nebo, little village IN LeDa,
non County, nesting at the foot OF
one of the Blue Mountains, and
eighteen miles from Lebanon. Al
though nearly half century old ne
has never had any teeth-not even
the deciduous teeth of infancy.
Neither has he ever had any distinct
growth of hair on the scalp. he Is
entirely destitute of the sense OF SMELL
and almost of that of taste. In re-
gard to the latter he is barely able to
distinguish the difference between the
several kinds of food. In the words
of prominent physician, he is Just
about able to tell the difference OF
taste between cheese and chalk" But
the most wonderful thing about the
man, that has set the pet theories OF
the physicians of both hemispheres at
naught, is that his skin is entirely de-
void of pores. Under the closest
scrutiny of the microscope it has been
impossible to discover respiratory
glands, without which the doctors
have always contended a man can not
live. The fine downy hair that is
commonly on the limbs of an ordina-
ry person is entirely absent in this
case, and the skin is perfectly dry and
without the slightest suspicion OF
moisture. When working actively,
his body becomes intensely hot, and
the only means of assuaging this heat
is to throw water over him. What is
most peculiar is that Mr.. Vending
has never known days sickness, and
is in every sense a healthy man.
UNABLE TO MAsTIcATE FOOD.
He is, on account of being absence
of teeth unable masticate food. He
can not even crunch it with his jaws,
as the lower one protudes so that the
gums do not meet. Besides vegetable
and soft food, he can only eat the ten
derest of meat which, after cutting it
up very fine, he makes an attempt to
chew by pressing it with his tongue
against the roof of the mouth, to ex-
tract the juice, and then swallows it.
lis among the youngest of twenty
one children, none of which possessed
any of the peculiarities of their broth
er. The parents were also perfect,
but his maternal uncle and grand
mother, it is said, were both as sim
gularly created as Mr.. Vending. His
father was farmer, and the son fol-
lowed this occupation for many years.
When working in the fields it was nee
essary to have couple of boys bring
water to him, as he could not find
relief from the intense heat his body
was subjected to by perspiration, as
ordinary people do. The boys threw
the water on him, and his clothes
were constantly kept wet. He never
suffers any inconvenience from this,
and never knew what it was to have
a cold. 1t finally became rather expen-
sive to employ boys to carry water to
the field for him and he concluded to
change his vocation. He then sought
employment in the ore mines of Corn
wall, Lebanon County, Here he was
beset by another difficulty. His skin
being dry and slippery, from want of
natural perspiration, he was unable
to get firm grip on his pickax and
the other tools used. This he rene
died by wearing gloves, with which
he was able to WELD his implements
somewhat better.
He soon grew tired of this kind of
work, however, and about a year
ago, having learned the trade of MAX
ing shoes, he opened little shop in
Bismarck, a small village about seven
miles south of Lebanon. The smaller
tools used in cobbing he can easily
manage. While at work in his little
shop he has bucket of water stand
ing besides him, with which he keeps
his clothing constantly wet. During
the summer, when it is so warm that
he can not sleep, he goes into the eel
lar and lies on the damp ground until
he becomes sufficiently cool, when he
again retires to his couch and he is
able to slumber. He frequently takes
this means of cooling off. One of
his greatest delights is to give himself