It
took three months' continuous work to carry out this sentence,
during which his comrades succumbed to the terrible agonies.
During the entire day for this extended period indigo was pricked
in this unfortunate man's skin. Accounts such as this have been
appropriated by exhibitionists, who have caused themselves to be
tattooed merely for mercenary purposes. The accompanying
illustration represents the appearance of a "tattooed man" who
exhibited himself. He claimed that his tattooing was done by
electricity. The design showing on his back is a copy of a
picture of the Virgin Mary surrounded by 31 angels.
The custom of tattooing the arms, chest, or back is quite
prevalent, and particularly among sailors and soldiers. The
sequences of this custom are sometimes quite serious. Syphilis
has been frequently contracted in this manner, and Maury and
Dulles have collected 15 cases of syphilis acquired in tattooing.
Cheinisse reports the case of a young blacksmith who had the
emblems of his trade tattooed upon his right forearm. At the end
of forty days small, red, scaly elevations appeared at five
different points in the tattooed area. These broke down and
formed ulcers. When examined these ulcers presented the
peculiarities of chancres, and there was upon the body of the
patient a well-marked syphilitic roseola.
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