Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-01-01
Boys BRAIN UPSIDE DOWN
W rites backward and sings High
Notes Low--I,usseiI Baker Puzzles
American Physicians.

Physicians are puzzled at the strange
case of Russell Baker, eight-year-old son
of Mr.. and Mrs. A. Baker of Hunting
ton, Va, the "topsy-turvy" boy, who
does all things in reverse order. 1t Is
said his brain Is upside down and he mas
| a camera eye, seeing things upside down
Strangely, his parents did not notice the
popularity. 1t was not discovered until
young Baker went to school, where his
teacher marveled at the strange manner
in which he did things, writing upside
down and backward and singing his high
notes low and his low notes high.
The parents of the boy knew he did
some things In peculiar manner while
, at play but they thought 1t the natural
inability of a child to do things IN an
orderly fashion and they thought Russell
not different from any other child.
It was not until efforts were made to
teach the boy to write that the school
teacher discovered the boys abnormal
condition
She observed him closely for several
weeks and then reported the matter to
DR. G. NJ Halves, member Of the board
of education, who took charge of the
case.
| The boy appears normal in all other re-
spects. He romps and plays with the other
boys, his popularity apparently not in
terfcring IN any manner with the child's
fondness for play, and he plays in per
! fcctly normal manner
BRAIN SPECIALISTS PUZZLED.
The brain specialists are so puzzled at
the case that they have made an appeal
to the experts of Johns Hopkins hospital
| in Baltimore
a detailed description Of the case, with
it's development and its peculiar phases,
has been written by the Huntington spe-
cialsts in chldreu's and eye diseases and
sent to Or William II Howell of the Bal
| timoro hospital
| So far as known, there has never been
a case Tx. that Of Russell Baker There
| have been cases Of mirror vision" in
which the afflicted sees things backward
or upside down and writes as he sees.
"Cam,u vision" Is the most accurate
term for this popularity. as the pictures
focused i'm a camera are not only back
ward but upside down as well.
Eut never before has a case been re-
ported whore n person not only reads, but
also sings topsy--turvY.
Th. is 'he boys second year in school.
Last year the teacher made no report of
his popularity. His present teacher first
noted the strange manner in which tho
lad does things when he began to write
at the lower left-hand corner Of the page.
writing upward a | backward toward the
tor.
When on transparent paper the chi
Biography is turned around and the paper
looked through from the back it is as
clear as the average child's of Ruseelrs
age
BRAIN AND NOT EVE At FAULT
Iu studying the boy holds his booI; up
side down but he learns his lessons well.
Although he sings upside down" he is
very fond of singing
y thorough test of the boy was given by
Or. lIaw,s and Dr.. Lindsey Vinson a
specialist in childrcn's diseases. before
sending q report to Johns Hopkins
II is stated that the Majority Of cases
of mirror vision" are caused by the
brain and not by the eye itself
1t is not usually a mechanical defect
Of the eve, but the 'isarrangemont Of the
nerves Of the brain confer. With this dag
nosis local physicians have concluded the
case is one for brain specialists
The case Is attracting attention of noted
physicians all over the country and many
cases are being reported Of a similar
character. hut not IDENTICAL
Many reports come of persons afflicted
with mirror vision" but none In which
the afflicted rcverses the natural order Of
things in 50 many ways especially in
singing
EVERYTHING NATURAL TO HIM