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anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第139章

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〃The most horrible development of cannibalism among the Australian blacks is the eating of defunct relatives。 When a person dies there follows an elaborate ceremony; which terminates with the lowering of the corpse into the grave。 In the grave is a man not related to the deceased; who proceeds to cut off the fat adhering to the muscles of the face; thighs; arms; and stomach; and passes it around to be swallowed by some of the near relatives。 All those who have eaten of the cadaver have a black ring of charcoal powder and fat drawn around the mouth。 The order in which the mourners partake of their dead relatives is duly prescribed。 The mother eats of her children and the children of their mother。 A man eats of his sister's husband and of his brother's wife。 Mothers' brothers; mothers' sisters; sisters' children; mothers' parents; and daughters' children are also eaten by those to whom the deceased person stands in such relation。 But the father does not eat of his children; nor the children of their sire。

〃The New Zealanders; up to very recent times; were probably the most anthropophagous race that ever existed。 As many as 1000 prisoners have been slaughtered by them at one time after a successful battle; the bodies being baked in ovens underground。 If the individual consumed had been a redoubtable enemy they dried his head as a trophy and made flutes of his thigh bones。

〃Among the Monbuttos of Africa human fat is commonly employed for a variety of purposes。 The explorer Schweinfurth speaks of writing out in the evenings his memoranda respecting these people by the light of a little oil…lamp contrived by himself; which was supplied with some questionable…looking grease furnished by the natives。 The smell of this grease; he says; could not fail to arouse one's worst suspicions against the negroes。 According to his account the Monbuttos are the most confirmed cannibals in Africa。 Surrounded as they are by a number of peoples who are blacker than themselves; and who; being inferior to them in culture; are held in contempt; they carry on expeditions of war and plunder which result in the acquisition of a booty especially coveted by themnamely; human flesh。 The bodies of all foes who fall in battle are distributed on the field among the victors; and are prepared by drying for transportation。 The savages drive their prisoners before them; and these are reserved for killing at a later time。 During Schweinfurth's residence at the Court of Munza it was generally understood that nearly every day a little child was sacrificed to supply a meal for the ogre potentate。 For centuries past the slave trade in the Congo Basin has been conducted largely for the purpose of furnishing human flesh to consumers。 Slaves are sold and bought in great numbers for market; and are fattened for slaughter。

〃The Mundurucus of the Upper Amazon; who are exceedingly ferocious; have been accused of cannibalism。 It is they who preserve human heads in such a remarkable way。 When one of their warriors has killed an enemy he cuts off the head with his bamboo knife; removes the brain; soaks the head in a vegetable oil; takes out bones of the skull; and dries the remaining parts by putting hot pebbles inside of it。 At the same time care is taken to preserve all the features and the hair intact。 By repeating the process with the hot pebbles many times the head finally becomes shrunken to that of a small doll; though still retaining its human aspect; so that the effect produced is very weird and uncanny。 Lastly; the head is decorated with brilliant feathers; and the lips are fastened together with a string; by which the head is suspended from the rafters of the council…house。〃

Ancient Customs。According to Herodotus the ancient Lydians and Medes; and according to Plato the islanders in the Atlantic; cemented friendship by drinking human blood。 Tacitus speaks of Asian princes swearing allegiance with their own blood; which they drank。 Juvenal says that the Scythians drank the blood of their enemies to quench their thirst。

Occasionally a religious ceremony has given sanction to cannibalism。 It is said that in the Island of Chios there was a rite by way of sacrifice to Dionysius in which a man was torn limb from limb; and Faber tells us that the Cretans had an annual festival in which they tore a living bull with their teeth。 Spencer quotes that among the Bacchic orgies of many of the tribes of North America; at the inauguration of one of the Clallum chiefs on the northwest coast of British America; the chief seized a small dog and began to devour it alive; and also bit the shoulders of bystanders。 In speaking of these ceremonies; Boas; quoted by Bourke; says that members of the tribes practicing Hamatsa ceremonies show remarkable scars produced by biting; and at certain festivals ritualistic cannibalism is practiced; it being the duty of the Hamatsa to bite portions of flesh out of the arms; legs; or breast of a man。

Another cause of cannibalism; and the one which deserves discussion here; is genuine perversion or depravity of the appetite for human flesh among civilized persons;the desire sometimes being so strong as to lead to actual murder。 Several examples of this anomaly are on record。 Gruner of Jena speaks of a man by the name of Goldschmidt; in the environs of Weimar; who developed a depraved appetite for human flesh。 He was married at twenty…seven; and for twenty…eight years exercised his calling as a cow…herd。 Nothing extraordinary was noticed in him; except his rudeness of manner and his choleric and gross disposition。 In 1771; at the age of fifty…five; he met a young traveler in the woods; and accused him of frightening his cows; a discussion arose; and subsequently a quarrel; in which Goldschmidt killed his antagonist by a blow with a stick which he used。 To avoid detection he dragged the body to the bushes; cut it up; and took it home in sections。 He then washed; boiled; and ate each piece。 Subsequently; he developed a further taste for human flesh; and was finally detected in eating a child which he had enticed into his house and killed。 He acknowledged his appetite before his trial。

Hector Boetius says that a Scotch brigand and his wife and children were condemned to death on proof that they killed and ate their prisoners。 The extreme youth of one of the girls excused her from capital punishment; but at twelve years she was found guilty of the same crime as her father and suffered capital punishment。 This child had been brought up in good surroundings; yet her inherited appetite developed。 Gall tells of an individual who; instigated by an irresistible desire to eat human flesh; assassinated many persons; and his daughter; though educated away from him; yielded to the same graving。

At Bicetre there was an individual who had a horribly depraved appetite for decaying human flesh。 He would haunt the graveyards and eat the putrefying remains of the recently buried; preferring the intestines。 Having regaled himself in a midnight prowl; he would fill his pockets for future use。 When interrogated on the subject of his depravity he said it had existed since childhood。 He acknowledged the greatest desire to devour children he would meet playing; bu
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