When on his back he was unable to rise up, but resting on
the lower part of the pelvis he was able to maintain himself
erect. He usually picked up objects with his teeth, and could
hold a coin in the axilla as he rolled from place to place. His
rolling was accomplished by a peculiar twisting of the thorax and
bending of the pelvis. There was no history of maternal
impression during pregnancy, no injury, and no hereditary
disposition to anomalous members. Figure 112 represents a boy
with congenital deficiency of the lower extremities. who was
exhibited a few years ago in Philadelphia. In Figure 113, which
represents a similar case in a girl whose photograph is deposited
in the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians, Philadelphia,
we see how cleverly the congenital defect may be remedied by
mechanical contrivance. With her crutches and artificial legs
this girl was said to have moved about easily.
Parvin describes a "turtle-man" as an ectromelian, almost
entering the class of phocomelians or seal-like monsters; the
former term signifies abortive or imperfect formation of the
members. The hands and feet were normally developed, but the
arms, forearms, and legs are much shortened.
The "turtle-woman" of Demerara was so called because her mother
when pregnant was frightened by a turtle, and also from the
child's fancied resemblance to a turtle.
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