The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-07-15
STRANGE FREAK
Reported From the Coast of
Old Virginia.
AChild Born With It's Heart Out
side of Its Body Lives for
Sixteen Days.


hours with its hearts entirely exposed,
reposing upon the outside OF the tiny
body and performing Its function In
plain view OF more than score oil
people VINO came to behold the re-
markable freak Of nature, Is the phe.
nomenon that has astonished the
physicians and psychologists here
abouts, says Telegram from Cape
Charles. Va.
A few weeks ago there was born to
Captain and Mrs. William l.. Owens,
of Northampton county, Va,
daughter
1t was the first child that had come
to brighten the lives Of the oyster
man and his wife. In all respects
save two the tiny bit OF feminity was
perfect specimen of bibyhood.
One of the defects, however, was
fatal.
The heart instead OF being In the
place where nature intended 1t to be,
was on the outside OF the LETT breast.
And there, In full view OF all who
chose to observe. 1t performed It's
functions 10 days before the little liie'
begun under such extraordinary con-
ditions, was snufied out.
The second strange feature OF the
case was that the left arm was hxed
to the body, nature seeming to take
that method OF protecting the vital
organ from a collision with the arm,
which would necessarily be fatal.
DR.. Goode, of Cape Charles. attend
ed the mother and child. He says he
can offer NO explanation OF the phe-
nomenon. 1t Is merely fantasy oil
nature, and he believes there Is no
similar case on record. He says the
heart was carefully examined and
measured and was found to be triiie
above the normal size for the infant.
lust below the exposed organ there
was a small hole through the side.
The heart had evidently worked Its
way through before reaching the
growth 1t showed at birth, because
the cavity was not sufficiently large
to admit OF the heart being replaced
where nature intended It to do Its
work, even were 1t possible to perform
such an operation.
The child was never dressed, as
clothing would have interiered with
the action Of the heart, and every pos
sible effort was made to prolong the
life OF the little one.
The mother has her own theory re-
garding the case. She says a few
months before the child was born She
was with her husband on one OF his
fishing trips. A sudden storm arose
and boat near theirs became partly
swamped. Captain Owens went to
the rescue OF the imperiled craft. AS
a.. his boat neared the sinking sloop he
hurled a line far above the tossing
waves to fishermen In the other boat.
The deck lurched under his feet and
he was thrown violently forward. His
wife was looking on In agonized sus'
pense. For an instance she thought
her husband had gone overheard into
the sea
my heart seemed to burst right up
into my throat" she says in telling
the story.
The neighbors of the Oversees ac-
cept this as logical explanation, but
the medical men smile at it,
at Is apparent. saws the doctor
THAT while the body of the child was
undergoing formation In its earlier
stages the heart became entangled
with something that drew 1t TO the
outside of the chest. There 1t remain
ed and grew with the gradual devel-
opment of the other parts OF the body.
Being a heavy organ, Its own weight
held it out, while the flesh and cuticle
beneath II slowly closed.