The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-02-16
a QUEER PATIENT.

Phaadelphia Press.

PHILADELPHIA Press -l--H
4 remarkable man, nov living 10 Leba
non county, Pennsylvania; was recently er
hibited before the Philadelphia Medical So
ciety. Peter Vending was born forty-eight
years ago 1t Mount Nebo, little village In
Lebanon county, nesting at the foot Of one
sfthe Blue Mountains, about eighteen miles
from Lebanon. Although nearly. half cen.
tury old he has never had any tecth--not
even the deciduous teeth Of infancy. Meth
or has he had any distinct growth Of hail. on
the scalp. He is entirely destitute Of the
sense Of smell, and almost Of that Of taste.
In regard TO the latter he Is barely able TO
, distinguish the difference between the sever
al kinds Of food. In the words Of Premi-
nent physician, she Is just about able 70 tell
the difference of taste between cheese and
chalk" But the NEST wonderful thing about
the man, that has set the pet theories Of the
physicians Of both hemispherss ut naught, Is
that his skin 10 entirely devoid Of pores. I'm.
der the closest scrutiny Of the microscope 1t
has been impossible to discover penpiratory
glands, without which she doctors have al
ways contended man cannot live! The fine
downy hair that 10 commonly on the limbs
OF an ordinary person Is entirely absent In
this case, and The skin 10 perfectly dry and
without the slightest suspicion Of moisture.
When working actively, bis body becomes
Jntenseiy hot. and tho only means Of assuag-
Ing this heat Is to throw water over him.
What Is most peculiar Ia that Mr.. Vending
has never known days sickness, and 10 In
every sense healthy man.
He 10, of course, on account Of. the entire
absence OF teeth, unable TO masticate food.
He cannot even crunch 1t with his jaws, As
the lower one protrudes 80 that the gums do
not meet. Besides vegetable and soft food,
he can only eat the tenderest Of meat, which
after cutting It up very fine, he makes an at
tempt 10 chew by pressing II with bis tongue
against the roof of the mouth, to extract the
Juice, and then swallows 1t. He Is among
the youngest of twenty-one children, none Of
whom possessed any Of the peculiarlties Of
their brother. The parents were also perfect,
but his maternal uncle and grandmother, 1t
Is said, were both as sipgularly created as
Mr.. Vending. His father was farmer, and
the son followed this occupation for many
years. When working In the fields !. was
always necessary to have couple Of boys
bring water TO him, as he could not iird re- |
lief from the intense heat bis body was sub |
jected to by peppiration, rs ordinary people |
do. The boys threw the water on him, and
his clothes were continually kept wet, He
never suffered any Inconvenience from this, |
and never knew what II was TO have cold. |
II finally became rather expensive to employ |
bsys 10 carry water TO the field for him and |
he concluded 10 change bis vocation. He
then sought employment In the ore mines OF
Cornwall, Lebanon county. Here he was |
beset BIZ another difficulty. His skin being |
dry aud slippery, from want OF natural pers
piralion, he was unable to get firm grip on |
the pickaxe and the other tools used. This
he remedied by wearing gloves with which |
he was able 10 WELD his implements some |
what better.
He soon grew tired of this kind Of work,
however, and about year ago, having learnt |
the trade OF making shoes, he opened little
shop In Bismarck, q small village about sew |
en- miles south of Lebanon. She smaller
tools used In cobbling be can easily manage.
While at work In his little shop he has
bucket Of water standing beside him, with
Which he ksebs his clothing constantly wet.
During the summer, when II 10 30 warm that
he cannot sleep, be goes into the cellar and
and lies on the damp ground until he BE-
comes sufficiently cool, when lie again re-
tires 10 his couch, and he 10 able to slumber.
He FRI quen,ly takes this means Of cooling
of. One Of his greatest delights 10 to give
himself 0. thorough soaking under the pump.
His sedentary occupation has caused him TO
have a slight attack Of dyspepsia within the
last few months, ~ he Was alwsys used TO
out-deor labor. Mr.. Wendling has wife
and eight children. HIS progeny have none
orths defects u the father, with exception
that their teeth are imperfect. One Of bis
daughters, who s about sixteen years old,
has only ten teeth instead Of twenty-eight
she should possess, and mono Of them have
full set. intellectually, Mr.. Vending 10
perfect.