Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-11-02
Autopsy ON An APE.
Curious Facts aad ReSemblancss TO Man Dis
covered BY tauaid Scientists.


@a9 - L. .3esiai
BosToN, Nov. I'm small third-story
room on Friend street. yesterday there
gathered about long and narrow table
several Of the best known doctors in tho
seuntry.4 Before them lay the body OF
Gumbo, the ape, which had been at the
dime museum of Stone g. Shaw,
and died of tuberculosis Tuesday. The
managers of the museum, believing that
it would be of great scientific value to
hold an autopsy ON the beast, asked Dr.
Councilman, professor of pathology at
Harvard university; Professor Dwight,
professor of anatomy at Harvard, and Dr.
Franklin Dexter, an authority on tho
peritoneum, to perform that operation.
Besides the above-namcd doctors there
we're present to make observations DR.. W.
H. Prescott, DIR. o. G. Cilley, DR.. G. o.
Thompson and several students from the
Harvard medical school
DIR. Councilman, assisted by Drs. Dexter
and Prescott, performed the actual opera
ton of examining the body, beginning
with the intestines. 1t was found that the
most virulent tuberculosis had spread
throughout the intestines and that evil
dence of the disease was everywhere pres
ent. DR. Councilman made the statement
that tuberculosis is most prevalent among
apes, and said that most of the apes in this
country die of that disease. 1t is also a
fact that
One-Seventh of the Human Race
die from tuberculosis in one form or
another.
A careful analysis revealed the fact that
the spleen, kidneys and liver of the ape
were especially affected by the disease.
An examination of the lungs and heart
then followed, and it was found that one
of the lungs was destroyed.
At this point in the examination the at
tention of the doctors was especially called
to a sac extending from shoulder to shoul-
der, and connecting with the lungs and
mouth. 1t was found that this is the Or
gan which enables the ape to give terrible
roars and shrieks. This point was. of course,
of special interest to the doctors. The
muscular development of the spinal column
and chest WAS something remarkable, and
the ribs and breastbone were observed to
be exceedingly human in their develop
mcnt The vermiform appendix was re-
vealed and measured, and it was found to
be 10 inches long, whereas the same part
in the human anatomy averages only
about three inches.
The Examination of the Brain
was perhaps the most interesting point
from d scientific view 1t was found that
the cerebrum, or thinking part of the
brain, weighed IL ounces, and that the
cerebellum, or the part that has control
over the muscular actions, weighed 312
Of
only about third as much as the
brain of human being. The pro-
portions of the two parts of the brain,
however, were all right, although the
cerebellum was, Of course, proportionately
larger than in u human being. The dis
ease had in no way affected the brain.
d. Councilman thought that the ape
must have been about years old, whereas
the owners of the beast all along beloved
that he was not more than IL or 13.
Some of the Measurements
of the structure of the beast were espe-
cially interesting and valuable for purposes
of comparison. In life Gumbo stood about
B u feet tall and weighed about 165 pounds
His arm was found to be 36 inches long,
the hand alone measuring ~ inches and
the middle finger 81.
DIR. Dexter brought out the points that
in the legs the thumb" or big toe, was
remarkably largo, whereas the fingers or
other toes were small. But in the hands
the case was just the opposite, the fingers
being remarkably large and we'll devel
oped and the thumb small.
The shape Of the skull, in comparison
with the human skull, was an interesting
point brought out. The top of the skull
In the ape was small, whereas in human
being the top is the larger part and the
skull tapcrs off to the chin. Prominent
bones were noticed over the eyes, which
seemed to contain hollow cells
In which Air Had Been stored.
The simplicity of the brain structure
was another interesting point in making
o comparison with the human brain. The
whole carcass has been given to Harvard
college, and more minute experiments and
more thorough analysis of the organism
will be made.
Professor Councilman, after he had
completed the dissection, remarked upon
the great value of the operation he had
just performed, from scientific stand
point. The specimen, he said was
Q quadruma of the highest form
of apes. DR.. Dexter, throughout the
examination, found in it little at var.-
ance with the development in the lumaE
system. DR.. Dwight noted carefully the
hands and feet the development of the
Joints and the remarkable muscular de-
velopment both of the chest and head.
Looking Toward Municipal Reform.
BOSTON, Nov. 1.-President Capen ad-
draaaad tho Municipal laaOua lact pirbt