Fergus County argus., 1906-01-09
HUMAN FREAKS NUMEROUS.
Extraordinary Individuals Who Mys
tifx Scientisfs

tffy Scientists.
There is no end to the freak people
in the world. and curiously enough.
the most remarkable of them are OF
the fair sex. An account of a phe-
nCmenon observed in a girl of 12 re.
siding at Vladikavkaz, in the Caucasus.
has just been forwarded to England.
The girl whose name is Luba, has
marvellous magnetic powers, and ev-
cry object which she approaches be-
gins to move. If she goes near kitch-
en- dresser the crockery upon it be-
gins to dance. washing hung on a
line flies off. bottle standing on
table is raised in the air, and stones
lying on the ground leap in the air
and fall again.
Doctors and professors of physical
science are unable to explain the
strange power. while ignorant people
assert that Miss Luba is possessed of
an evil spirit, and that she should be
sent to Fr. John of Crontraut to have
the demon exercised.
A very strange lady is Miss Ev-
taina Tardo, who was born on the is
land of Trinidad some 80 years ago.
From childhood she has never axper-
fenced the sense of touch. and medical
men are of the opinion that there is
no connection between the sensory
and motor nerves in her body, and she
is therefore utterly devoid of physical
feeling. Doctors have thrust needles
in her limbs and under her nails, ap-
piled red not irons to the soles of
her feet, and cut her flesh with
jagged knife; yet all she said she
could feel was a slight jar
Miss Tardo can control the beat
ing of her heart, stopping it at will
and then permitting it to beat again.
She is proof against poison and dis
ease and consumption, diphtheria and
typhoid germs have not the slightest
effect upon her. Altogether she is a
vertable wonder.
A young lady of Narbonne possesses
the strange gift of being able to see
with the naked eye as if with X-rays.
Her wonderful achievement has Great
ed furore in scientific circles, and
she has been found very useful by sur
geons in diagnosing fractures and eX-
amining the interiors of patients bod
les. Dr. FerrOul of NarbOnne and
DR.. Grasset Of Montpelier. who have
examined her. declare that she can see
through Opaque bodies as clearly and
penetratingly as if her eyes general
ed Roentgen rays.
In farm house near the Delaware
river, in Hunterdon county. n. j.,
resides a family of chronic laughers.
The parents and their children have
ar affection of the muscles of the
mouth and throat that compels them
to give vent to apparent merriment
al frequent intervals during the day.
| The malady first appeared in the
| father. While seated at the dinner
table one day. he, without any appar-
ent cause, burst into loud fit of
| laughter and continued laughing for
several hours. Doctors were consult
ed, but they were forced to admit that
the malady baffled them completely.
Some weeks later Susie, the young.
est child burst into similar fit dur
ing one Of her fathers attacks. From
that time onward she laughed without
cessation for four or five hours at a
stretch. One by one the remaining
members of the family fell victims
to the strange complaint. Charles, the
eldest son. had his first attack while
proposing for the hand of girl at
Wilkesbarre. The maiden accepted
him, nevertheless, and her children
were taken with regular attacks at the
same hours as their father.
The entire family, including the
grandchildren, have laughed inces
sanity for years. and this had a
strange effect On their voices. Both
men and women talk in the same tone
resembling the voice of an alto sing
er.
A we'll known publican of st. Louis
is a living chalk man. His whole
body has become thoroughly impreg
mated with chalk as the result of bad
attacks of gout. His fingers have
turned 10 chalk, and when he was Wis
tied by delegates of surgical soci
ETY. he actually wrote his name on
slate with one of his little fingers.
Herman Harms of st. Charles. in
the state of Minnesota, has been
asleep for over decade. He fell
asleep after supper one evening and
since then he has scarcely awakened
of his own accord. When he began
his remarkable period of rest he turn
ed the scale at 1872 pounds. but with
in three years all his flesh vanished
and he is now living skeleton, weigh
ing only "a pounds-Tit Bits.