The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-10-30
A HUMAN TOP.
This Boy Spins Hopelessly Around
Every Few Stems He Takfs

|
Every Few Steps He Takes.
This unfortunate little boy Nigh
truly be called "The Human Top.
lnvo!untarily he spins Like a top
Every few steps, whether be walks o
runs, he turns his body all the wa
around two or three times. II,
wishes not to reyolve. lie tries not X
revolve, but he has no more contro
over the revolutions OF his body tina:
We has over the revolutions Of this
mundane sphere These "forced mo-
tlons' have grown in sforce and fire
quency upon the unhappy boy since
he learned to walk.
The boy is Challie c.. and his
name is withheld here to spare the
feeling of his parents, who are pro,ui-
nent in New Jersey. Six months ago
tney placed their son, who is ten years
| Ola, in the New Jersey Training school
1or1eeble-minded children at Vineland.
lhere ne has been at once the study
ana the puzzle of the physicians who
attend the inmates of the school and
OF specialists, who have been called in
to examine him. No dime museum
sham is he, but the victim Of an ab
normal condition, the rarest OF the
race.
Lately DR.. Charles X. Mills and
Dr. W. G. Spiller, two eminent ply
slclans Of Philadelphia, who are spe-
clallsts in diseases Of the nervous sys-
tenn, carefully examined this whirling
boy. The two doctors made report
upon the interesting case and extracts
from the report will best tell the re-
suits Of their study Of him:
1--WE found the lad quite intelligent,
understanding and replying correctly
to all said to him." the distinguished
physicians write. ellis speech, Vi
sion, hearing and bodily development
were good.
The interesting feature in the case
IS the tendency Of the patient to re-
volve while walking. He has been
taught, since he entered the school,
that ne must overcome this impulse.
ne insists that he cannot help turn
ing
The revolution of his body is said
to be always toward the left; that is,
when he faces the observer, the boys
right side is first presented, then his
back and then his left side. We were
able to confirm this statement while
the patient was walking.
1.-The revolutions correspond with
the speed with which he had been
moving" That is, the boy whirls
:aster when he runs than when he
walks.
Drs. Mills aud Spiller evidently
searched the medical books for a par
lllel to this unique case. They found
hat Bechterew, a celebrated neuolo-
'ist, had reported one somewhat SINH
ar If an attempt was made to hold
3echterew's patient while he revolved
re tore himself loose to go on whirling.
\ post-mortem examination on this
'atlent proved that the covering mem.
'ranes of his brain were diseased. I
But the learned doctors confess
themselves completely puzzled by little
Charlie. They write:
ut is impossible at present to de-
lde whether these revolutions, which
he cannot help, are the result Of or
anic or functional conditions.
IF some one would devise a method
y which the Roentgen rays could
i've us photograph of brain with
skull, our means of diagnosing
'onld then give positive results in
UGH difficult problems.
In other words, the doctors must ,,
'ok into Charles skull before they ,,
an tell why he whirls and cannot
clip whirling. New York Journal.