The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-03-06
YOUNGEST DOCTOR IN the
WORLD.
Five Year-Old Boy Puzzles Physicians
with His Knowledge of Anatomy
(FItom the Chica po Tribune

(From the Chicago Tribune)
Little Willie Gavin, of Chicago. is the
only child who holds a certificate of
proficiency In anatomy from professors
or recognized medical colleges. Though
scarcely 1--WE years of Age, and no taller
than table, this little tot is perfectly
familiar with the human skeleton and
! the work Of the dissecting room. In
TACT, he has witnessed nearly every cap
ital operation known 10 surgery in the
New York, Louisville, New Orleans and
| Chicago hospitals.
! The youngster is a marvel of preco-
city, and knows every bone in the hui
| man body, as well as does a medical
| student at his final examination. That
| Is not all. He can tell you with equal
ease and accuracy everything that is to
| be known about the heart structure
and Its complex functions.
| little Willie Gwin has been in Chi
cage about year. His fitlher, Howell
Is. GWin, M. D., is u physician, who,
about that time, located here. To his
professional brethren in Chicago he
introduced the tot and surprised them
ON several OCCASIONS by asking them to
question the child about anatomy OF
the human body 1t was then shat the
liptie fellow became a pronounced SEN
sation, for he made his wise uuestioners
|
that SO small n head could carry and
accurately tell all about osteoogy, and,
| In faot, about the various systems of
the human body. He is already the
talk of the medical circles.
shortly after coming to Chicago the
little fellow went to the operating
room l5f the Rush Medical College with
his father. There Willie saw Surgeon
Geneiui Hamilton perform n difficult
operation. He stood ny the patisnt
with the wisdom and indifference of the
operator himself. and saw everything
IL was an operation for sarcoma of Ithc
breast. and the child can now describe
II as well as any surgeon, using the sur
Slcal acknowledgements as long as an
arm lie rerels in a dissccting room,
and Will go among body of students
or surgeons and manifest the liyeliest
interest in all that is going on.
AS an evidence OF the little fellows
seH-rossession in a dissecting room and
the interest he manifests in a Subject"
Or. C.Win took him to the morgua in
| New Orleans y dead man had Just
been brought In. having been killed by
a trolley car. The body was manglcd
'pahly. The frontal bone had been
| crushed Nj. as we'll as the superior
naXillary and molar. the nasal bone
| peing broken and twisted nwry. The
| depression was large enough to Law the
hand in. Willie was taken to the table
on which the stripped body Law and
became at once absorbed in examining
inc race wound. Like n surgeon of
years experience he leaned over the
body and examined the injuries. lifting
UP a bone here and pressing the frontal
and maX!llary there Completing the
diagnosis. this tot OF then four years
was asked by the father the extent 0f
Inc injuries. To this he readily replied
explaining each bone crushed and its
location. This father then, with n
scaipel. made an inciSion behind the
IeS ana demonstrated, by exposing the
mann artery. nerve and vein, the func-
lions OF the same. The child saw. and
to this day can tell all about it, aa,g.
menting 1T, however with other knowl-
edge in connection learned since by
practical demonstration.
willie GWn has two certificates. of
proficiency in ana tomy. One was given
him by Prof. Edmond Souchon. of the
chair OF anatomy, Tulane University.
New Orleans. Prof. Souchon examined
The child and certified that he found
MN the most thorough anatomist of
his age in osteology and conformation
of the heart.
Another certificate was given him by
r. RicAard Taylor. NJ. D., dean OF the
Hospital College of Louisville, after n
careful examination upon the osseous
system and heart. lie ccrtifjcs that no
found Willie the most thoroughly most
ed child he ever saw or read of. and
believes him to be the youngest anato
mist in the world, being only five and
half years old.
The father, DR.. C;win, told how the
lad came to know SO much about ann
tony, and it appears that interest in
ana acquisition of his knowledge ORR
Sinated rather aCcidcn ALLY.
In romping on the bed with him"
said the father. mot further back than
when he was three years old, | used
to amuse him by telling him some diff
llcult names OF bones in the body and
taunt him with being unable 10 repeat
them. lie very rapidly caught the
words, and, strangely enough, retained
them without any apparent effort. He
then began 10 associate the names of
the bones and tiicir location, and il
was not long before he displayed q
considerable knowledge Of anatomy.
lie knew the bones and could describe
their exact location, not parrot fashion,
as you have observed, for it matters
not where you locate n bone, he knows
Ito name, and it matters no. what
name YOU call he can point out and
describe the bones location.
ONEIDA he happened in the office of
n physccian friend of mine, who was
much Interested In the tots rcmarka-
bic requirements. and. more in jest
than in earnest, brought out a piece OF
the human skull and asked the child
what 1t was. IT was separated from
its adjoining parts in a manner the
boy had not seen before, but. studying
it n moment, he told lis scientific name
correctly, 10 my friends astonish-
mcnt."
The population of Algiers has risen
fll.nl 4 lG4. In in 1901 to :GtGi LOO in lSlG