Comparative anatomy has
only lately obtained a hold in the public mind, and in the Middle
Ages little was known of it. The pretended giants' remains have
been those of mastodons, elephants, and other animals. From
Suetonius we learn that Augustus Caesar pleased himself by
adorning his palaces with so-called giants' bones of incredible
size, preferring these to pictures or images. From their enormous
size we must believe they were mastodon bones, as no contemporary
animals show such measurements. Bartholinus describes a large
tooth for many years exhibited as the canine of a giant which
proved to be nothing but a tooth of a spermaceti whale (Cetus
dentatus), quite a common fish. Hand described an alleged giant's
skeleton shown in London early in the eighteenth century, and
which was composed of the bones of the fore-fin of a small whale
or of a porpoise.
The celebrated Sir Hans Sloane, who treated this subject very
learnedly, arrived at the conclusion that while in most instances
the bones found were those of mastodons, elephants, whales, etc.,
in some instances accounts were given by connoisseurs who could
not readily be deceived. However, modern scientists will be loath
to believe that any men ever existed who measured over 9 feet; in
fact, such cases with authentic references are extremely rare
Quetelet considers that the tallest man whose stature is
authentically recorded was the "Scottish Giant" of Frederick the
Great's regiment of giants.
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