He was one of the most remarkable gymnasts of his day, and
notwithstanding the distortion of his lower limbs had marvelous
power and agility in them. As an arena-horseman, either standing
or sitting, he was scarcely excelled. He walked and even ran
quite well, and his power of leaping, partly with his feet and
partly with his hands, was unusual. His lower limbs were so short
that, erect, he touched the floor with his fingers, but he earned
his livelihood as much with his lower as with his upper limbs. In
his skeleton his left lower limb, between the hip and heel,
measured 16 inches, while the right, between the same points,
measured nine inches. Hare mentions a boy of five and a half
whose head and trunk were the same as in any other child of like
age. He was 22 1/2 inches high, had no spinal curvature, but was
absolutely devoid of lower extremities. The right arm was two
inches long and the left 2 1/4. Each contained the head and a
small adjoining portion of the humerus. The legs were represented
by masses of cellular tissue and fat covered by skin which
projected about an inch. He was intelligent, had a good memory,
and exhibited considerable activity. He seemed to have had more
than usual mobility and power of flexion of the lower lumbar
region.
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