The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-04
HEADS.
COST $50 IN
PANAMA
Ecuadorean Secret Of Shrinl-
ing Them 70 Doll Size Re-
veaIed BY Physician.

The Canal Zone correspondent OF
the Medical Journal and Record,
writing from Balboa Heights. says
that Panama, as the crossroads ~
the world, contains many medical
curiosities from other countries.
One Of the most interesting Of these
are the shrunken heads of human
beings and animals which come
from Ecuador and are not infre-
quently offered for sale, particularly
at those seasons when there is a
large influx Of tourists whose one
desire appears to be that of DOMINIC
Panama hats (which, by the way
are not unade in Panama, but at
Monte Christie and Jipijapa, In. Ecua-
dor) and purchasing anything which
is shown them.
Entire Body Offered.
tNot infrequently," he continues;
"a very. good head may be secured
for $50 gold, hut, of course, the rule
IL to charge all that the traffic win
bear. Several times cat or dog
heads have been offered for sale,
and on one occasion the entire, body
Of a negro, shrunk to a twenty
eight-inch stature, was exhibited IN
local barber shop. Human heads
about two inches in diameter and
complete IN every particular are
seen more frequently than any type
of this art These are usually the
heads of males, sometimes OF ne
groes, sometimes Of Indians. al
though once. in q while a woman 8
head with long hair liz shown.
They are generally slate gray N
color, the hair, beard and eyebrows
being well preserved and the dimin-
utiVe features being uncannily life
like in their expression. 1t Is al
ways interesting to speculate just
how the bones have been removed
and the soft parts preserved and
shrunken,- and always tits alleged
that there is a great mystery about
| the process. since the wild indians
OF the Jibaro country are not at all
.hospitable to strangers and consider
the process Of head-shrtnking "a:
cred ceremony, not to be disclosed
| to outsiders. It Is stated that sew
eral persons who have allowed their
1 curiosity about the matter to out
run their prudence have supplied
fresh material for, these primitive
morticians. Several years ago a
| considerable number OF Photographic
plates Of the process which had
been secured by an enthusiastic
| young Frenchman were shipped t.
France from here as a part OF his
estate.
Whole Process Not Known.
while none Of the medical men
on the Isthmus knows for a GER
l fna fFH
| ing a head from normal proportions
to those of doll, enough data have
been secured from passing travellers
| to constitute a fairly accurate
Knowledge The head is severed as
close to the trunk as possible and
an incision made from the Occipital
| protuberance downward. The skin
and soft parts are then reflected
and all fat and tissue not necessary
| to preserve the features removed
The she'll remaining is turned right
side out after sewing up the in
| cision at the back of the neck and
| the lips
"Hot stones are then introduced
and by a rotary motion a charring,
! shrinking and thinning of sthe it's
sues is produced. The head is then
boiled in strongly astringent solu
ton, probably Of high fannie and
benzoic acid content. 1t is then
packed full Of very fine sand and
strapped to board which has q
small hole drilled through it. The
center of the neck is directly over
this hole, and as the head, which ii
set out in the broiling hot sun
shrinks, the sand is slowly forced
through the opening. While this II
going on, the features are deity
nodded, particular attention being
paid to the preservation Of the hail
Of the head, the brows and face