The evening times., 1895-11-14

IJJ66LESWITH HIS JOINTS
H. S. Fitzgerald GIVES Exhibition
at Columbian Medical College.
HE CAN DIsLOCATE HIMSELF
He Is Chssed by Medical Journals ns
| "Lax-Liga mentarian' and by Sur
| geOns as Freak of Nature-Htp
! Joints Come Apart without TrOu.
ble-An Interesting Phenomenon.
| H. s. Fitzgerald fOrty.scvcn years Old
and native of Harrisburg, Pa, gave an
exhibition last night for The benefit Of the
students of the Columbian Medical College
of his powers rs Il ''!aN-ligamentarian,' To
use title bestowed upon him by medical
journals, and the things he did with his
muscles aud bones were revelations to the
coming physicians.
As II iugglcr or Joints AMI Il twlster of
ligamcnts he is without an equal.
Mr. Fitzgerald can without any trouble
whatever disiocatc at will any joint in his
body, from his little toe Ia. his spinal col
umn. and has absolute control of every
muscle. He has been exhibiting before
medca! colleges for about twcn,y-scvcn
years. and during the winter months has n
permanent engagement. With the Bellevue
Medical College nf New York, and also APP
pears at the Vanderbilt clinics.
While his exhibition is doubtless OF the
greatest interest to young men who will
need Il knowledge of that sort of thing in
this profession some day, it is rather
ncrvc-Straining Ia people who don't as "A
rule hunt siEli things up. To sta. Il man
hang his nip bone an his liumcrics. or some
thing of the sort, and then, With rl,rful
smile, chase his kno'cap off seine place.
where Il committee of physicians can't find
it, is not conducive al. mir,h.
IT Is NOT FUNNY.
Ii may be "A good thing from a scientific
Standpoint, but il is not funny.
Accompanied by DR.. u. h. Shutc the
dean OF the faculty, Mr. Fitzgerald made
Ills appearance about $50 O'Clock. at
tired in a pair or red silk swimming trunks
and a plain gold ring.
A number of lie students were on 10 his
CURVES. so 10 speak, and many OF them
leaned forward eagerly as he bowed,
expecting TO see him break his back or
something. But the only thing he cracked
was a smile, and that was AT sCnic pleasant
witicism Dr. Shute got off while explain-
ing wltl AFR EifyO.r..lh xx-ns
Then the exhibition commenced.
His control over the muscles and liga-
mcnts OF his body was first displayed.
Muscles That physicians have hitherto
onl. been able To get al with a corkscrew
he brought into plain view and action by
simple movement OF limb. Ligamcnts
SO deep in the flesh that they could only
be reached with carving knife Were
brought into action apparently Just under
the skin. His part OF the exhibition was
very Interesting, aud more like side
SHOW entertainment than medical clinic.
Then, while everybody WAS listening TO
soiileImtS br. Shutc was IA wing, he pushed
u disscctiiIs tahsc .up against the wall and
ciliilbed up on IL. Just AS all turned their
attention to him he grabbed a nail over his
head aud gave his body a twist. Iinmedi-
ately The left foot turned inwards, the leg
was teusc and strained and a big lump on
the mp showed That the fcnlur had been
thrown out Of its proper position, pre-
senting every appearance OF Il disiocaiion
OF the most paiB;ll sort This, Dr. Shute
explained, was undoubtedly n genuine dis
location. After this little feat had been
examined at sufficient length he gave an
other twist aud was himself again.
BOTH HIP JOINTS DIsLOCATED.
Then he got orr the tai Bile, and, catching
his left foot in his hand, gave IL n sudden
wrench The students all seemed 10 think
he was going to twist it off, but he only
desired to give an illustrate of club
feet The right foot was served in the
same way. aud. getting back on the table,
he dislocatcd both hip joints again and
sal in that position for several minutes,
smiling. while Dr. Shute told them what |
had happened.
He then got down, and. breaking his leg |
in two at the knee Joint, stuck his foot un- |
der his arm, while DIR. Shute went hunting |
FOR his knee cap. The iysician was finally |
compelled to confess his ina bilty to find |
t, and the con,ortionist put his leg back |
where il belonged.
He then dislocated his scapulae, or shoul- |
der blades. and showed the two down some
where III the small of the back. He can |
hold a visiting card between them SO |
tightly haiti can hardly be pulled ont. |
After tins little exhibition, he wrestIed |
with his arm moment and had I; hump |
Dn his shoulder that DR.. Shute pronounced |
very Interesting, and said he couldn't un- |
ravel without post rnortem. Then he dis |
ocated his elbow, wrist and various other |
Joints, and by contracting the muscles of |
lis abdomen allowed the physician TO feel |
If his liver and other internal organs. BY |
certain muscles, he could stop
lis pulse entirely and could cause circu-
alton in almost any part OF his body to |
ease.
Mr.. Fitzgerald's body after death will
20 to a Philadelphia physician, to whom
&c sold II several years ago. He is looked
lpon by scientists as most remarkable
reak of nature.