Curiosities of Human Nature.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1582, 25 March 1887, Page 3

Curiosities of Human Nature.

Stoma of longevity, of the tenacity of life under malformations, and nnder eircumatances apparently contrary to reason, always arouse and sustain our attention.

This may be partly due to an unowned, and perhaps unconscious hope, that we, too. may be able to sustain life under circumstances calculated to wrench it from ns. But the extension of the thread of life to an extreme length is perhaps not ao singular as in those instances in which the thread has a noticeable flaw in its composition, or has sustained gome shock well calculated to disintegrate its tissues. In the former case we should place at the head of the list, Ambroise Su**t, known in the early part of this century a* the " Living Skeleton."

Born at Troyes, of French parents, he exhibited at birth no tendency to the disease which afterwards made him famous. His parents were poor, and ordinarily robust, and, to their honour be it spoken, rejected many large offers for the body of their son in case of death.

As he grew towards manhood, there was a gradual decay of muscular tissue, which left him, when full grown, a perfect model of a skeleton, covered only by a hard, yellow skin. In 1825, he arrived in England for exhibition, and a quotation from Mr Hone's ■ Every Day Book," will btst satisfy the reader's curiasity : Su.-at was not quite ready to appear; in the meat time, my attention was directed to the Chinese papering of the room, when Sura: silently opened the curtains that concealed him and •tood motionless towards the end of the p la'form. On turning round I was instantly rivetted by his amsztng emaciation; be seemed another " L-z----»mi come forth" without his graveclothes, and, for a moment, I was too consternated to observe more than his general appearance. My eye then find caught the arm, the moat remarkable limb; from the »houlder to the elbow it is like au ivory German flute, somewhat deepeni d in colour by age ; it is not larger, >nd the skin is of that hue, and not having any trace of muscle, it is as p rfect » cylinder as a writing rule. . ... I was still more amazed at the extraordinary depression of the chest. Its indentation is similar to that which an over-careful mother makes in the pillowed surface of an infant's bed; Nature has here inverted her own order, and turned the converse inwards, while the nobler organs, obedient to her will, maintain life, bv the gentle exercise of their wonted junctions, in a lower region. Daring exhibition he wore a silk ballet skirt, through which the hip bones projected. His face and head did not partake of the general emaciation, the features were well formed, the complexion swarthy, and the expression intelligent. In spite of the depression of the chest, the voice was deep-toned, and pleasant. Such was the "Living Skeleton." He realised during his exhibition in England, a small fortune, on which he r tired to France, but did not live to t njoy it long.

A comical instance of muscular flexibility was exhibited 'n the caw of Joseph Clark, posture master in Pall Mall, 1650. Naturally well formed, and rather stout, he had acquired the power of self dislocation in an extraordinary degree, and he exercised this function much to his own amusement, • od greatly to the diacomforture of his u mpanions who had just seen him, a well-formed natural man.

He used to talk quietly to people f r a few moments, and then disappear, returning to them unrecognised, as a pitiable cripple, of a totally different countenance to the man with whom they had ju?t conversed ; the fl xibi'ity of his features being even greater than that of the rest of his features. On one occasion he dislocated the vertebra of his bsck, and other parts of bis body, to such a painful extent, that Molins, the famous, refused to receive him as a patient, as he considered it useless to attempt a cure. But perhaps the tailors were the greatest sufferrrs by his practical j ikes. He delighted to call upon them lor taeasurement. and to order an expensive suit. During their operations his left shoulder was immensely higher thau the right one, but when the coat came to be fitted, the right one was the ascencing member! Tae tailor, apologising f< r bis mistake, wolud take back his work and cut out a new garment With no better luck, however, for whon this a.ain was fittel, the shoulders appeared both on the satce level, but a hump hid risen in the spine itself. There was nothing for it but to swallow his wrath, and make yet another trial.

We are often much alarn ed by the predilection shown by younp children fur iwa ; lowing small articles, like hooks or buttons, dreading beside the loss of the buto'i some m >re aerious disaster. This practice, though not generlly recommended by t e '• facu'ty, M maj be carried to an extraordinary d-xree, without any imme<l ate re.«u ti. Andie Brazil, a native of Nantf, and a great eater, being at the tin e i s'ave in, the galleys at Brest, found hs food wai insufficient for his largp & >petit -. At fiist he was seen by his felbw-pns-ootn to supplement hie ionp by bitf

of wall planter, possibly in mistake for toast sippet*. This, he said, strengthened his spirit* ! By degrees other things were forced into requisition, and at last he became an inmate of the hospital.

Here his extraordinary behaviour led them to look upon him as a mad* man, and the remark that he had " a thousand things in him that would kill him," was passed over unnoticed. The doctors, unable to fathom his complaint, rendered their assistance in vain.

After his death, curiosity prompted them to ascertain the nature of his disease, and in the presence of the physicians, surgeons, and pupils of the hospital, the following discoveries were made.

Fifty two pieces of various substances were extracted, including a knife, pewter spoons, pieces of glas*, iron, wood, nails, leather, tin, horn, and every variety of button. Some of the woodwork was of considerable length. The account of this case was published by Foamier, who also made inquiries among his associates as to his previous life. He was acknowledged on all hands to be mad, and as his life was an unhappy one, perhaps i. was as well that he thus buttoned himself into an eariy grave.

The above are but a few of the instances which occur in physical history. We have all met with some, and shall probably meet with others. Dwarfs have been supplanted by "midgets," and giants, if not usually seen in the flesh, may at least be seen in the wax at Madame Tussaud's. There may be some living who remember the fat man, Daniel Lambert, but the living skeleton has not yet repeated itself, nor do I think such a phantasy of nature is likely to occur again.