Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-02
MONSTROSITIES
That Have Cut Figures in Days
Gone BY.
CASES OF DsFoRMirY.
Authenticated Examples Which Make the
Siamese Twins Appear Almost Nor
mal-Anne Boeyh's Misfortune
that Led to Divorce,

''He is very devil in Royal skin" was
q remark made of Henry VIII. when he
procured divorce from Anne Boleyn, but
the majority Of readers of English history
are unaware of the fact that, although con.
sidered the most beautiful woman Of her
day, she han congenial deformities. There
were six toes on each foot, and she had
three breasts in straight line across her
chest and with these deformities her Royal
spouse became disguised to such degree
tnat he procured a divorce from her.
There are numerous cases of this deform-
ity recorded. One, three, four, five and
even more breasts have been reported as
belonging 10 one individual. These super
numeraries are sometimes in a straight
line with the normal ones-sgsin, under
the arm or on the hips. Several cases
where they were on the back, aud in one or
two cases they are reported as forming dis-
mOnd and triangular shapes. There is one
case recorded where the female had eight
breasts-four on each side.
Many of the numerous cases of deformity
reported surpass belief. There was mou-
sIer at the Court OF st. James, who was
twenty-eight years OF age at the zine the
ODSSI dLlOu WAS taACu. I16 was p6EleCI III
every way but one. He possessed two
headS-one of which was very smart and
the other very stupid; the stupid one kept
him IN so much trouble that all his time
was spent in allowing his smart one to get
him out OF the SCrapes his other head had
caused. His stupid head died a short time
after this report, and the whole man lived
for ten days after, until the dead head had
almost separated from the body by decom-
position.
Valentine and Horne relate the case Of a
child in Bengal who was the unlucky pos
SCISSOR Of two heads. tH this case the heads
were placed one on top OF the other, and
Joined very closely together. They were
both perfect in formation. Sometimes one
of the heads would bt asleep and the other
awake. II the hair of one head was pulled
the other head would cry; if one mouth
we're fed tine other mouth would water and
show evident signs of satisfaction. The
monstrosity lived for four years, and was
in the hest of health at the time OF its
death, which was caused by the bite Of
viper.
Winston tells Of IN Italian child eight
years of age who carried little head un-
der his right arm, which little head peeped
ont. giving one the impression that the
body of the little head Was buried in the
somewhat larger body OF its bearer. The
little head was ChriStened Matthew and
the larger one was cbristened James. II
little Matthew's ear was pinChed James
roared, but at all times little Matthew was
under the Impression that ne was in reality
ne only protection that James had. The
last report of this double boy says he was
in perfect health.
4 story is told of Moor in Tunis, thirty
wears of age, whose head was so large that
a crowd always followed him On the street.
g, ~anoninna that hR Hnnl1
place a muskmellon in it as easily as the
small boy of to-day could cherry. He
was four feet four inches in height, and
the distance from his chin to the top OF his
head was twenty-three inChes-oYer one
third OF his height.
Benventi saw lad we'll proportional eH.
cept as to his head. At the age OF seven
the head began to grow rapidly, so that
when he WAS twehty-seven years old his
face and his head were fifteen inches long,
and thirty eight inches in circumference.
The number of double children pre-
senting far more astonishing features
than the wellknown Slamese twins IS
large.
Button relates the history Of two girls
who we're Joined at their abdomenS. AZ
six wears the little blonde, Helena, became
Iaralyzed. The taller, brunette, Judith,
then carried her around for sixteen years.
They had smallpox and measles 10 COM
nan Other disc .ses they had lndepend-
entity OF each other. At twenty-five Helena
died of fever. and Judith lived few min
utes after. \ post mortem examination
revealed the fact that they could not have
been separated. Judith, who was very
beautiful girl, had lover when she waslS,
who tried for long time to persuade her
10 marry him in spite OF the load she
Was doomed to carry through life. Every
lsssie has her laddie," but there Is no men
ton of lover ior poor Helena
Munster tells of two girls attached at the
forehead. At the age OF eleven one died,
and the operation for separation killed the
other. Cases Of pairs Joined at the back OF
the head, at the hips, at the back, and IN
every conceivable way may be found with.
out number. The double headed child OF
oxford, England, attracted considerable at
tsntiOn. IL lived for some time. Inc pc.
Culiar feature was that one aead possessea
a bright, smiling. conteuted couutenance,
and the other dark Sowing and defect
ed one. 1t also had four arms. The rest
of the body was natural. The defOrmlty
Was christened Martha and Mary.
Liceti, another authority, tells OF case
in which child had natural body aud
lower extremitieS, but possessed seven
hands and seven arms, and lived ABOUT
week. An odd story is told OF the old
surgeon Zuliomtius, who had performed
the operation of making an artificial nose
for a msn. The material used was pro-
cured from q hog. The operation was
success. 4 child born to him about one
wear after had an unmistakable hogs nose,
and a short time after the old hog was
titled, when both the old mans nose and
that. of the child rotted away. rms.
apocryphal story is told, no doubt TO Illus
trate an old superstition.
There is an odd case reported oil q man IN
the prime Of life who surprised the physi,
clan he consulted by telling MN ne nao
never been sick, had never taken medicine
and had called out OF curiosity, because he
felt a little out of sorts. This mSn had
Isrye cup-shsped piece Of clothing made o.
some solid substance which he SAID ne
wore TO protect part that was very tender
ON examination il proved to be his heart,
which was literally On the outside OF his
body, He hsd protected it instinchvely,
and il had caused him no trouble:
A case mentioned in one OF the late med
ical works is that of wood chopper woo
met with an accident that laid open ms
stomach. He wss fed through the noie'
the food being simply placed IN the SION
wstcbed at ease. He vas Of wonderful as
sistance to physiology undoubtedly, aud
his general health did not seem 70 be I'M
naired BY this unnatural manner OF teed'
inc The half crazy Quarryman who mai
c-6v.har driven through his head recovered,
and became Justice of the Peace.
One of the most wonderful s1thentlcat-
al cases of artificial deformity Is that OF q
Frenchman, who had the entire skuIl-csp
removed for some disease OF She ora,n;
He recovered and adopted the profession OF
a beegsr. His stock in trade vas allowing
v,hp nj nxIlf Il