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“ A Man Fish.”A sliort time since the Tennessee and Kentucky newspapers contained a start?-ling account of a wild man lately captured, with great difficulty, in the Cumberland mountains. Ho was six foet ten inches high, extraordinarily fleet of foot, and excessively savage. He fed chiefly on raw fish, which ho captured •without artificial aid. He spent much of his time in the water, and after being captured ho had to be frequently bathed. He was oovered with shining scales, liko those of a fish. His hands and feet wore webbed liko the feet of wator-fowls—so the newspaper accounts, with many embellishments, ran. It is scaroely necessary to say that mnch of this story was oDly showman's talk, uttered to attract the attention of the curious and credulous publio.The physicians of Louisville were invited to visit the monster upon his arrival in the city prior to his general exhibition. Among others I visited the merman ; but before seeing the case I had diagnosed it as one of icthyosis, and a single glance was sufficient to verify tho correctness of my conjecture. The man-fish presents a most magnificent example of the form of icthyosis or fish skin disoaeo, called icthyosis serpentina or serpent skin ; and his' general effect is more that of a serpent than of a flsh. But upon different parts of hia body may bo found nearly all the varieties of icthyosis. The resemblance of this man's skin to the shed skin of a boa constrictor, lately brought me by a friend from the zoological garden in London, is almost perfect. Abont his joints the skin is loose and wriukled, hanging in folds, and the scales are largo, suggesting the skin of a lizard or alligator about their limbs and belly. His arms and legs remind one of the skin of the buffalo perch, the carp, or other large fish. The cuticle everywhere is dry and harsh, and nefer perspires. There seems to be an absolute absence of fat, and the man is shrunken and withered, of a dead ashen-gray appearance, except here and there, where he is brownish or blackish. Though only of about fifty years of age, he impresses one as a very old man. The skin of the face is red and shining, and tightly drawn about the cheeks, pulling the lower lids down to such an extent as to perfectly evert them, making a horrid case of ectropion. In some places his scales are silvery, in others dark, and again in others aro small and branny. Hia hair is very thin and dead-looking. The backs of his hands are fissured, and on his palms and soles the cuticle is greatly thickened. The fingers and toes seem shorter than natural, and the skin is drawn tightly back over both feet and hands. The septum between tho fingers and toes seem to extend much further down than usual, thus suggesting the webbed appearance before alluded to. He is considerably over six feet in height, and is a man of alow order of intelligence. He is married, and is the father of several children, none of whom, fortunately, inherit his malady ; and as icthyosis is almost if not always a congenial disease, they are not likely ever to have it. The tisli-mau fails to present but a single variety of icthyosis, and that is the porcupine disease, as it is called. In this, spines, formed by hardened sebaceous material, protrude from the skiu, closely packed together. Wilson states that lie has observed them a quarter of an inch long. Willun reports having encountered them of an inch in length. I have never seen them longer than an eight of an inch. Many years ago two brothers, in England, having this form of icthyosis, were exhibited in the shows as porcupine men.Icthyosis is one of the rarest of skin diseases. I am under the impression that it is more frequent in Europe than in this country. In ten years I have seen less than a dozen cases. Its cause, as I have stated in my report to the American Dermatological Association, in 1S77, is scrofula, according to my observation nud experience. It is found in all the walks of life. I have encountered it with equal frequency among the rich and the poor. It is commonly considered incurable, and only temporarily and partially miti-gable.The treatment which I have found successful iu permanently removing ichthyosis, iu more than oue case, consists in the use of the construe !ivlt;»s i. e. codlivcr oil, extract of malt, syrup of the iodide of iron, syrup of the hy-pophosphites, lt;fcc.; attention to the digestive organs, and by giving the richest and best fat producing foods, such as cream, butter, hog meat fresh or cured, sugar and otherswoets. A careful and thorough daily anointing with some oleaginous substance is of great value, and prolonged vapor or hot water baths should bo employed frequently. — L. P. Vandcll, Si. IK in LouLsrille Medical News.
Newspaper Details
Ukiah City Press
Ukiah, California, US
Fri, Feb 07, 1879
Page 3
Full Page
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Los A.
CA, USA 05 Jun 2025
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