The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-07-01
Beast Men.


Beast Men.
The yourg lad at school, when he be-
gins the study OF the Classics, and reads
OF Romulus and r mus being suckled
and raised'by wnlf, an animal that be
has heard and read OF as being one Ct
the most ferocious of all the carnivora,
thinks to himself what terrible lot of
liars these old classical authors were
But of late years scientific investigation
has anraveled much that renders it not
improbable that the old Roman histo-
rlans spoke the truth, for children have
been discovered reared in caves possess
ing animal habits and tastes-wolf char
acteristics-that has led naturalists 10
assert that wolves do raise children. The
beast.men and wolf-children OF India and
Europe resemble savage races on the
one hand and many wild animals on the
other in the snon-possession OF, othet
shelter than that which is afforded by the
caves and forests. They have no proper
dwelling. and no capacity for construct
ing any. In Iodis they live in caves
just as do the wolves, with which they
associate, and by which it is believed 10
some instances they are brought up
Gerhardt says that at the Lucknow
Msd-hoase was an, elderly fellow who
ha I been dug out of wolves den by a
European doctor. These wolf children,
as they are cslled, tear and eat raw flesh,
gatehr aud gnaw bones like dogs, catch
and swallow flies, bite the heads Of live
towels. lap water with their tongus. One
OF them 10 thus described: He drank
like dog, aud liked bone and raw
meat better than anything else. His
civilization has progressed so far that
he likes raw meat less, though he will
still pick up bones and sharpen bis teeth
on them Then there are others who
before they eat or taste food smell it,
and when they don't like the smell they
throw it away. A boy found 10 company
with female wolf and her cubs rel 'cted
cooked NEST With disgust, but delighted
in raw flesh and bones, putting them on
the ground like q dog, under hi, paws,
says Colonel Sleeman. Pr,f. Max Null
ler, who saw the same boy, says the
wolf-child would devour anything, but
preferred raw meat. He even ate half o
lamb without any effort. Even quilt
stuffed with cotton, given him in cold
weather, was torn by him and partly
swallow - e '
These children have a number Of AMI
nal characteristics that have pazs ed the
scientists. such as the squirrel.like hab-
It Of climbing trees, as Peter OF Hanover
and Victor 'of Aveyron did; prowling at
night aud hiding in solitary placss and
sleeping bv day; tapping or sucking
water like an OK, horse or dog. which the
Aveyron wild boy did eating raw flesh !;
swapping at dies aud cannibalism !. smell
ling food before eating it and eating
acorns and raw fruits, such as seeds.
roots, bark, leaves, grass both of which
characteristics we're peculiar to the two
bovs sbovs mentioned. Ferocious biting
the bov found with the wolf and her
cube in India d.w at aud tried to bite
childred. Such children never smile.
are insenslble t. kindness, and show no
signs. Of JOY and have no sense of shame.
Tnev have an absolute repugnance to
clothing OF any sort, aud do not have
spoken lsnguage. only veil, howl and
whine. Hanoverion Peter uttered no
sound. while v,ctor's voice was imper.
feet and gutteral. They can not he edu
Gated any more than an idiot DR.. Ar.
buthunot at the reqnest Of George I. at
tempted to educSte Peter. tue wild boy,
but he could not he taught to do the
SIMPLEST act without superintendeace.
Oaa, OF a couple Of wolf children OF
Dude, Indis, Is described hv Prof. s elv
which died in the midst of Anglo Indian
civilis ,tion, hut the child considered he
was in captivity all the time. His habits
in the woods has been those OF wolf.
and despite all the reiormstory efforts he
died as he lived, a beast-child.
There are some scientific men who
claim that these children are abandoned
idiots who have hees left to perish; bot
thi, would not account for the traits that
are 80 peculiarly yolfish.5 1t is not I'M
possible that the common people of In
dia are correct, and that their foster
mothers are wolves.
There are many savage tribes who live
as animals do. by grubb:ng up roots.
Some relish lice, like monkeys. The
Digger Indians eat lizards raw, only
pulling out their tails. They eat dead
horses and moldv meat, while the Apa-
ches love dead horses aud asses. The
Dokos and Mencoplcs eat raw food, and
the fierce Zulus eat carrion. Bruce and
Baker say that the Hamram Arabs eat
steaks cut raw from live oxen. and the
Nsddas OF Csylon eat wild honey. mon
kew, deer sud boar flesh -Cincinsati
Enquirer. ssi