A Living skeleton!! Authentic memoir of that singular human prodigy Claude Seurat, denominated the Living Skeleton, who arrived in London from the Continent in July, 1825. In which is contained a circumstantial detail of his person ... together with an account of his manners, habits, etc. ... / Illustrated ... by Robert Cruikshank.

  • Seurat, Claude-Ambroise, 1798-1841.
Date:
[1825?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A Living skeleton!! Authentic memoir of that singular human prodigy Claude Seurat, denominated the Living Skeleton, who arrived in London from the Continent in July, 1825. In which is contained a circumstantial detail of his person ... together with an account of his manners, habits, etc. ... / Illustrated ... by Robert Cruikshank. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    wards, similar to the sensation we experience, when the current of the blood having been for a time impeded, the same becomes stagnant, as proves the case, when a person experiences, what is vulgarly termed, the foot being asleep, which is succeeded by a pricking sensation, that denotes a recommencement of the circulation The skin of f the Living Skeleton/ appears very dry to the touch, and almost divested of moisture; so that if a covering of such a peculiar texture enveloped the frame of an ordinary human creature, it would be incapable of fulfilling the purposes required by nature. In consequence of the contracted action of the lungs, the breathing of this phenomenon is much confined, though Seurat does not seem to be much incommoded on that account. This may certainly in great measure arise from the seden¬ tary life he leads, and the care that is taken not to fatigue him, by holding conversation for any lengthened period of time. In speaking of the action of the lungs, we cannot do better than quote the following statement from the Medical Adviser: “ We come now to the action produced by the effort of the lungs, and which, strange as it may appear, does not proceed from the chest, as in ordinary cases, but from the lower extremity of the abdomen, as though the organs of respira¬ tion, from excessive laxity, had absolutely de¬ scended from their proper sphere, and that, by a tenacious effort of nature, unwilling to yield