PRODIGIES.
Hold taken on the public Mind by Prodigies--Dutch Boy with Hebrew
Words on the Iris of each Eye--Boy with the word Napoleon
in the Eye--Child with a Golden Tooth--Speculations on the
Subject--Superstition respecting changeling Children in the
Isle of Man--Waldron’s Description of a Changeling--Cases of
extraordinary Sleepers--The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus--Men
supposed, in the northern Regions, to be frozen during the
Winter, and afterwards thawed into Life again--Dr. Oliver’s
Case of a Sleeper near Bath--Dr. Cheyne’s Account of Colonel
Townshend’s power of voluntarily suspending Animation--Man buried
alive for a Month at Jaisulmer--The Manner of his Burial, and his
Preparation for it.
Prodigies of every kind, moral or physical, have ever taken hold of
the imagination of the public, nor has the better education of some
prevented them from lending a greedy ear to accounts of such phenomena,
and the belief of the vulgar has thus been sanctioned and strengthened.
Many, from interested speculation, have pretended to undergo most
extraordinary privations, or to be independent of the established laws
of nature; such impostures met with a very flattering reception in the
earlier part of the eighteenth century.
Mr. Evelyn mentions a Dutch boy, eight or nine years old, who was
carried about by his parents as a show. He had about the iris of one
eye the words Deus meus, and about the other Eloihim, in the Hebrew
characters. How this was done by artifice none could imagine, and
his parents affirmed he was born so. Three years before this period,
in 1699, Mr. C. Ellis wrote to Dr. Edw. Tyson, that he had seen the
Friesland boy, “round the pupils of whose eyes, they pretend, are
naturally engraved the above words. This is looked upon as a prodigious
miracle, in these parts, but, upon more nicely surveying it, I could
perceive it was only the iris not circularly joined, but lashed into
fimbriæ, which might be thought to form imaginary letters; there is
something like D. J. and V., but not a footstep for the strongest fancy
to work out any more. But it was like to have been of danger to me to
have discovered this trick; for acquainting a gentleman in English of
this cheat, one of the mob happened to understand it, and I was forced
to make the best of my way.” It is hardly three years since a lad was
exhibited in London, who is said to have had “Napoleon,” in distinct
letters, written in his eye. There is little doubt, if this was really
the case, but it was the result of artificial rather than natural,
causes.
The eyes are not the only part of the head in which miraculous
appearances have been supposed to be manifested. In 1593, it was
reported that a child of seven years old, in Silesia, having shed
its teeth, a double tooth had been replaced by one of gold. This
phenomenon soon brought a number of learned men into the field, to
dissertate upon the wonder. Horst, more generally known under his
Latinized name of Horstius, who was a professor of medicine, and really
a man of abilities, wrote in raptures upon the subject. According
to his idea, the production of the tooth was partly a natural and
partly a miraculous event, and was intended by Heaven to console the
Christians for the perils to which they were exposed from the Turks.
How consolation was to be derived from such a source, it would not
be easy to discover. Horst was followed by Martin Ruland, another
physician, who published a treatise called “Nova et omni Memoriâ
omnino inaudita Hist. de Aureo Dente,” &c. Two years after Ruland had
given his tract to the world, the opinions which it broached were
controverted by Ingesteterus; and were immediately defended, in another
dissertation, by Ruland. Lastly, the pen was taken up by Libavius, an
eminent chemist and physician, the first proposer of the transfusion
of blood. Unhappily, all this labour and erudition were thrown away.
Some one had, at last, the good sense to institute an inquiry as to the
reality of the miracle; and, to the great discomfort of the literary
and non-literary believers, it was discovered that the tooth was gilt.
Waldron, in his Description of the Isle of Man, says, “The old story
of infants being changed in their cradles is here in such credit,
that mothers are in continual terror at the thoughts of it. I was
prevailed on,” says he, “to go and see a child, who, as they told
me, was one of these changelings, and indeed I must own I was not a
little surprised and shocked at the sight. Nothing under heaven could
have a more beautiful face; though between five and six years old,
and seemingly healthy, he was so far from being able to walk, that
he could not so much as move a joint; his limbs were vastly long for
his age, but smaller than an infant’s of six months; his complexion
perfectly delicate, and he had the finest hair in the world. He never
spoke or cried, ate scarce any thing, and was very seldom seen to
smile; but if any one called him fairy elf he would frown, and fix his
eyes so earnestly on those who had said it, as if he would look them
through. His mother, or supposed mother, being poor, frequently went
out a-charing and left home a whole day together; the neighbours, out
of curiosity, have often looked in at the window to see how he behaved
alone, which whenever they did, they were sure to find him laughing and
in the utmost delight. This made them judge that he was not without
company, more pleasing to him than any mortal; and what made this seem
more reasonable was, that if he was left ever so dirty, the woman, at
her return, saw him with a clean face, and hair combed with the utmost
exactness.”
Instances have been often recorded of extraordinary sleepers, which,
supposing them to have been true, have puzzled physiologists to account
for. So many eccentricities in the animal economy have been proved by
a careful investigation to be impostures, that it is but natural to
suppose them all to have been feigned, to accomplish some particular
purpose.
The popular tale of the Seven Sleepers has had a most extended
circulation, and, as a divine revelation, was extensively believed
among the Mahometans. When the emperor Decius persecuted the
Christians, seven noble youths of Ephesus concealed themselves in a
spacious cavern, the entrance to which the tyrant ordered should be
firmly secured with a pile of stones. They immediately fell into a deep
slumber, which was miraculously prolonged, without injuring the powers
of life, during a period of one hundred and eighty-seven years. After
this slumber, as they thought, of a few hours, they were pressed by
the calls of hunger, and it was resolved that Jamblichus, one of them,
should secretly return to the city for bread. The _youth_ could hardly
recognise his native city, and, to his surprise, a large cross was
triumphantly erected over the principal gate of Ephesus. His singular
dress and obsolete language confounded the baker, to whom he offered an
ancient medal of Decius, as the current coin of the empire. Taken up
on suspicion, he found that two centuries had nearly elapsed since his
escape from the tyrant. The bishop of Ephesus, the clergy, and others,
hastened to visit the cave of the Seven Sleepers, who bestowed their
benediction, and peaceably expired.
Arguing from analogy, it was supposed that the inhabitants of the
colder regions hibernated, as certain smaller animals are known to do.
Baron Herberstein, in his Commentaries on Russian History, asserts,
that there are in the northern parts of Muscovy, near the river Oby,
on the borders of Tartary, a people he calls Leucomori, who sleep
from the 27th day of November till the 23d of April, like tortoises,
under ground, and then come to life again, though quite frozen all
the winter. This gentleman was a creditable sort of person, and twice
ambassador in Russia, from Ferdinand the emperor. It is most likely,
however, that in points of this nature he was contented to rely on the
reports of others.
Dr. Oliver has given to the world “a relation of an extraordinary
sleeping person, at Finsbury, near Bath;” the truth of which he seemed
not to doubt. Samuel Chilton, in May, 1694, fell into a profound
sleep, out of which no art could rouse him, till after a month’s time:
during this time, food and drink were put before him, which always
disappeared, though no one ever saw him eat or drink.
Two years afterwards, he slept seventeen weeks, and in the following
year for five months, with only one intermission for a few minutes. It
does not appear, from the relation, that there was reason to suspect
any imposture; yet it was rather remarkable that the stimulus of hunger
should have induced him, though asleep, to eat and drink whatever was
put before him, and yet the most powerful stimuli applied in other
forms should have made no impression upon him.
This protracted sleep, strange as it is, does not, however, appear
so wonderful as the power of voluntarily suspending animation, and
returning to life, after a considerable time has elapsed. A remarkable
case of this kind is recorded by the celebrated Doctor Cheyne, in his
“English Malady.” The patient was a Colonel Townshend, “a man of great
honour and integrity,” who had long been suffering under an acute
nephritic disorder, attended with constant vomitings, which made life
a burden to him. Early one morning, he sent for his two physicians,
Dr. Cheyne and Dr. Baynard; they went, accompanied by Mr. Skrine,
his apothecary, and found his senses clear, and his mind perfectly
collected. He had, he said, sent for them that they might give him
“some account of an odd sensation which he had for some time observed
and felt in himself, which was, that composing himself, he could die
or expire when he pleased, and yet, by an effort, or somehow, he could
come to life again, which (says Cheyne) it seems he had sometimes tried
before he had sent for us.”
The physicians were naturally surprised at this communication, and
reluctant to believe a fact which was seemingly so improbable. Yet they
hesitated to allow of his making the experiment before them, lest,
in his debilitated state, he might carry it too far. He, however,
insisted so strongly on their seeing the trial made, that they at last
consented. “We all three,” says Cheyne, “felt his pulse first; it
was distinct, though small and thready; and his heart had its usual
beating. He composed himself on his back, and lay in a still position
some time; while I held his right hand, Dr. Baynard laid his hand on
his heart, and Mr. Skrine held a clean looking-glass to his mouth. I
found his pulse sink gradually, till at last I could not feel any by
the most exact and nice touch. Dr. Baynard could not find the least
motion in his heart, nor Mr. Skrine the least soil of breath on the
bright mirror which he held to his mouth; then each of us by turns
examined his arm, heart, and breath, but could not, by the nicest
scrutiny, discover the least symptom of life in him. We reasoned a
long time about this odd appearance as well as we could, and all of
us judging it inexplicable and unaccountable, we began to conclude
that he had indeed carried the experiment too far, and at last were
satisfied he was actually dead, and were just ready to leave him.
This continued about half an hour, by nine o’clock in the morning, in
autumn. As we were going away we observed some motion about the body,
and, upon examination, found his pulse and the motion of his heart
gradually returning: he began to breathe gently, and speak softly;
we were all astonished to the last degree of astonishment at this
unexpected change, and after some farther conversation with him, and
among ourselves, went away fully satisfied as to all the particulars
of this fact, but confounded and puzzled, and not able to form any
rational scheme that might account for it. He afterwards called for
his attorney, added a codicil to his will, settled legacies on his
servants, received the sacrament, and calmly and composedly expired
about six o’clock that evening.”
A case of voluntary death and resuscitation, still more remarkable,
because the individual by whom the act was performed was buried alive,
and remained for a month in his tomb, has recently occurred in India.
The fact appears to be authenticated by unexceptionable evidence. The
account is given in a letter, by Lieutenant A. H. Boileau, an officer
of engineers, who is employed on the extensive trigonometrical survey
of India. “I have (says he) just witnessed a singular circumstance,
of which I had heard during our stay at this place, but said nothing
about it before, the time for its accomplishment not being completed.
This morning, however, the full month was over, and a man who had been
buried all that time, on the bank of a tank near our camp, was dug
out alive, in the presence of Esur-Lal, one of the ministers of the
Muhar-wull of Jaisulmer, on whose account this singular individual was
voluntarily interred a month ago.
“The man is said, by long practice, to have acquired the art of holding
his breath by shutting the mouth, and stopping the interior opening of
the nostrils with his tongue; he also abstains from solid food for some
days previous to his interment, so that he may not be inconvenienced
by the contents of his stomach, while put up in his narrow grave; and,
moreover, he is sown up in a bag of cloth, and the cell is lined with
masonry and floored with cloth, that the white ants and other insects
may not easily be able to molest him. The place in which he was buried
at Jaisulmer is a small building about twelve feet by eight, built of
stone; and in the floor was a hole about three feet long, two and a
half feet wide, and the same depth, or perhaps a yard deep, in which he
was placed in a sitting posture, sewed up in his shroud, with his feet
turned inwards towards the stomach, and his hands also pointed inwards
towards the chest. Two heavy slabs of stone, five or six feet long,
several inches thick, and broad enough to cover the mouth of the grave,
so that he could not escape, were then placed over him, and I believe a
little earth was plastered over the whole, so as to make the surface of
the grave smooth and compact. The door of the house was also built up,
and people placed outside, that no tricks might be played nor deception
practised. At the expiration of a full month, that is to say, this
morning, the walling of the door was broken, and the buried man dug out
of the grave; Trevelyan’s moonshee only running there in time to see
the ripping open of the bag in which the man had been enclosed. He was
taken out in a perfectly senseless state, his eyes closed, his hands
cramped and powerless, his stomach shrunk very much, and his teeth
jammed so fast together, that they were forced to open his mouth with
an iron instrument to pour a little water down his throat. He gradually
recovered his senses and the use of his limbs; and when we went to see
him was sitting up, supported by two men, and conversed with us in a
low, gentle tone of voice, saying that ‘we might bury him again for a
twelvemonth, if we pleased.’”
That his powers of abstinence are great, there can be no doubt; as
Cornet Macnaghten once suspended him for thirteen days, shut up in a
wooden box. During the time that he is buried, his hair ceases to grow.
Previously to his being buried he lives entirely upon milk, regulating
the quantity in such a manner as to be just sufficient for sustaining
life. After his release, and on his first taking food, he is said to
feel some anxiety, till he has ascertained that the faculties of his
stomach and bowels are not injured.