The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-04-28
THE aUNIPED-UP SEX.
Singular Abnormal GrowthS Obscrred-A
Study in Morbid Anatomy.

Singular Abnormal Growtlls Obscrred-A
Study in Morbid Anatomy.
We think the most careless man has
not failed to observe that women have
become subject to curious deformity
within the last few years. The matter
is delicate one to discuss, but really
the evil is getting to be so general that
public attention ought to be called to it
and methods of counteracting it ought
to be considered. We allude to the ugly
and abnormal development just where
the dress begins to set out behind.
There is something strange about this
deformity, inasmuch as the victims of it
do not seem in any way ashamed of it,
nor does it appear to affect their gener-
al health and spirits. Indeed there is
nothing commoner than to meet pretty
creature with smiling lips and sparkling
eyes tripping along as gayly and grace
fully as Diana on the borders of Euro
tas; and yet when she passes, You are
shocked to observe an immense hump
bobbing up and down on her back with
every movement The dear afflicted
creatures chat with each other cheer
fully, go about their shopping with the
same conscientious punctuality as of
old, and even appear to take pleasure in
the society of the male sex; bit while
admiring their heroic endurance we
can not help svmpathizing with their
misfortune and Siehing over their de-
parted grace OF form. With feminine
skill they have contriycd 4 kind of cloak
which is cut away ut the back and has
pieces hanging down ut each side like
the flaps of a saddle, and in such 4 gar
mcnt the hump puts on Il jaunty appear
ance, and even suggests the possibility
that it had been developed to fit the new
fashioned cloak. but not infrequcntly,
when an old-fashioncd cloak or circular
is worn, the protuberance is thrust out
through the folds of the overtlowing
cloth like . rock among the ripples of a
stream. In such cases the effect, if not
grand, is at least gloomy and peculiar.
If there be any truth in the modern
theory of evolution or in the old saying
that the back is fitted to the burden.
there may be some purpose in the devcl-
opment OF this curious hump. 1t would
certainly afford fine resting-place for
q market basket or Il carpet bag, and a
baby might be set astrlde OF 1t with
great advantage; but, curiousl y enough,
the women who carry loads of any kind
in the street scc,u scarcely ever afflicted
with this dcform;ty. while those who ap-
pear to be out to- no oti:"r purpose than
to exhibit themselves are the most sadly
miSShapcn.
What the character Of tie growth is we
have had no opportunities to investigate,
but there has been not a little discussion
on the subject among the scientists.
The opinion long prevailed that the
hump is u mere fungo:d growth, . cha
otic and inccngruous bulk. but there is
now good reason to suppose that in 4
majority of cases it is = highly complex
organism built up about i regular skcle-
ton, and somewhat resembling in form
and action the iointed mechanism of q
Holsters tail. Possibly the hump of this
character is later development and the
fungoid growth is mere survival; but
at any rate its existence can not be de-
MED, as instances have been known in
which the hump has been squeezed out
of shape in crowded street-car and re-
manned twisted, distorted and limp as if
it were mere mass of shavings or old
newspapers. The fact that in such cas-
es the woman has been known to step
out of the car UNCONSCIOUS Of injury,
may be regarded as positive proof that
the hump can not be very sensitive or
else that it can not be vitally connected
with the person to whom it is attached.
Professor Huxley after series of care
ful experiments declared that in twenty
five cases out of twcnty-siX he found
that the protuberance was not sensitive
to darning needle, and yet ia every
instance he was convinced that it was
subject to the voliticn of the wearer. He
is of opinion that as we can know moth
ing clearly and comprchcnsivcly on the
subject, it is outside of the sphere OF
scientific investigation, and that any
man who tries to find out why modern
women have this deformity imposed up
on them might better be engaged IN
twisting ropes of sand.
But the prevailing opinion seems to
be that something ought to be done to
retard or modify the unsightly growth.
For our own part we confess that our
axiety is not confined altogether to the
evolution that has taken place. Ii
single hump had been developed within
a brief period, why may not another
hump be added to it in obedience to
some curious hump-producing tendency
in feminine nature? And as result,
may it not come to pass that our women
will in time be backed like camels? For
the production of such monstrosltles 1t
is clear that this is 4 hustling world
Rochester P0$t-ErpreSs.
Two Gentlemen.