Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-03-08
MUCH LIKE A MAN.
An Ourang-Outang Examined at Johns
Hopkins Hospital

Ham, Jr., the educatedd orang-outang
of the Zoo, was taken before the Johns
Hopkins Medical society last night,
says the Baltimore Sun, in the as
sembly rooms at Johns Hopkins hos
pital. Doctors and students who were
present were much interested in the
little animal and shook hands with
him. Owing to the length of the pro-
gram which was presented before the
society there was not time enough for
close anatomical examination of the
strange animal.
DR.. Clement A. Penrose, 413 North
Charles street, took the animal from
the Zoo to the hospital, being accom-
panied by Hams captor and trainer
Capt. Frederick D'Osta, and by Louis
J. Berch, representing Frank c.. Bos-
took. DR.. Penrose is a close student
of zoology and was especially struck
with the value to his profession of
view of the strange animal which so
much resembles man in it's anatomy
He introduced Ham by saying:
Through the courtesy of Mr.. Frank
Zoo, l take pleasure in introducing to
the medical society Ham Jr, the only
Crdng-outang living in captivity
This interesting little creature was
captured in July, 1898, by his owner
Captain D'Osta on the Island of Bor-
neo, about 200 miles up the Chimpan
river. The mother was also taken,
but died about eight days later. The
father, which was about 5 feet 8
inches in height, escaped. The little
one was injured IN the arm by falling
from the tree which was cut down.
Ham, Jr., is now 21a years old has
cut all his first teeth is very affection
ate in his disposition and conveys his
wishes by cultural sounds and signs.
He eats oatmeal, toast and sweetenad
water for breakfast meat once a day
and after his act at night has welsh
rarebit. Ham takes cold very easily;
has had pneumonia. He is inclined to
constipation and is then medicated
like a human being. He is washed
every day with alcohol; twice week
with codliver oil and once a week
with milk.
The orang-outang, Maylayan for
, man of the woods, mics, slmia
satyrus, family simidae, belongs with
The gibbons of eastern Asia, the CHM
panzee and gorilla of western Africa:
to the group anthropomorphia, or
man-like apes. It inhabits the wooded.
5Wampy lowlands of Borneo and
Sumatra In a wild state the animal
| is a vegetable eater and arborial in
its habits, building rude shelters in
! the trees.
The male attains a stature of AZ
| feet or more, with reach of arms of
| ~ feet; the relative proportion of
arms to legs is, therefore, much great
er than in man. The erect attitude is
difficult, constrained and not ordinar-
lily assumed. In trees it displays great
tagility. The hands and feet are long,
with bent knuckles, so that the soles
Iof the feet and hands do not strike the
ground completely. The big toe and
thumb are quite short in comparison
with the other digits.
The face, hands and feet are naked
and the fur is scanty and thin, Of a
brownish or auburn color. The orang
possesses great strength and, accord
ling to some authorities, if wounded is
a very dangerous animal. The adults
have well marked warty prominences
on both cheeks, but no cheek pouches
for food.
THE skeleton Of the orang has in
the loose lumbar curve a resemblance
! to that of a child. In the chimpanzee
and gorilla it is more like the adult
human being. The orang has II ribs,
| whereas the chimpanzee and gorilla,
unlike man, have - and the gibbons
IA The thorax is wide and fat and
the sternum may ossify from a double
series of longitudinal centers, as some
times occurs in man.
THE orang's skull has greater brain
capacity than the chimpanzee or goril-
la, and owing to the smallness Of the
brow ridge the forehead is better seen.
The nasal bones are fat and none Of
these apes have an interior nasal
spine. (This forms the bridge Of the
nose) The scapula or shoulder bone
of the orang is like that of man; the
long straight clavicle, or collar bone, is