Anomalies and Curiosities of MedicineGould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Science
Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine
Gould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Abnormalities, Human; Medicine -- Anecdotes
Buhring relates the history of a case somewhat analogous to viability
of anencephalous monsters. It was a bicephalous child that lived
thirty-two hours after he had ligated one of its heads.
{footnote} The argument that the brain is not the sole organ of the
mind is in a measure substantiated by a wonderful case of a decapitated
rooster, reported from Michigan. A stroke of the knife bad severed the
larynx and removed the whole mass of the cerebrum, leaving the inner
aspect and base of the skull exposed. The cerebrum was partly removed;
the external auditory meatus was preserved. Immediately after the
decapitation the rooster was left to its supposed death struggles, but
it ran headless to the barn, where it was secured and subsequently fed
by pushing corn down its esophagus, and allowing water to trickle into
this tube from the spout of an oil-can. The phenomena exhibited by the
rooster were quite interesting. It made all the motions of pecking,
strutted about, flapped its wings, attempted to crow, but, of course,
without making any sound. It exhibited no signs of incoordination, but
did not seem to hear. A ludicrous exhibition was the absurd, sidelong
pas seul made toward the hens.
Ward mentions an instance of congenital absence of the corpora
callosum. Paget and Henry mention cases in which the corpora callosum,
the fornix, and septum lucidum were imperfectly formed. Maunoir
reports congenital malformation of the brain, consisting of almost
complete absence of the occipital lobe. The patient died at the
twenty-eighth month. Combettes reports the case of a girl who died at
the age of eleven who had complete absence of the cerebellum in
addition to other minor structural defects; this was probably the case
mentioned by Cruveilhier.
Diminution in volume of the head is called microcephaly. Probably the
most remarkable case on record is that mentioned by Lombroso. The
individual was called "l'homme-oiseau," or the human bird, and his
cranial capacity was only 390 c.c. Lombroso speaks of another
individual called "l'homme-lapin," or man-rabbit, whose cranium was
only slightly larger than that of the other, measuring 490 mm. in
circumference. Castelli alludes to endemic microcephaly among some of
the peoples of Asia. We also find it in the Caribbean Islands, and from
the skulls and portraits of the ancient Aztecs we are led to believe
that they were also microcephalic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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