A
Cabinet of Medical Curiosities by
Jan Bondeson presents an odd but
colorful gallery of human physical oddities taken from the
archives of medical history. Because human oddities are sometimes
mummified for future doctors, this book may interest an adult
interested in mummies.
Not for the squeamish
or those who prefer their history viewed through a politically
correct filter, this book contains a well-researched but painful
line-up including the two headed Boy of Bengal, the Irish Giant,
the Sicilian Fairy, cases of spontaneous combustion, and instances
of premature burial. Also included is a long chapter on Julia
Pastrana, aka the Ape Woman, a now-mummified human curiosity.
A Mexican Indian
woman, Julia Pastrana was known for the quantity of hair that grew
over her body (including her face). She was exhibited as a living
curiosity (by her husband, no less) and when she died in
childbirth, both her body and the body of her baby were mummified
(again, by her husband) so that the touring curiosity exhibit
could continue. When he died, other sideshow owners were happy to
display the two mummies as well. Eventually the mummies were
stolen and mostly destroyed, ending a sad and disturbing tale
about the use and abuse of humans "as curiosities" by
others.
The rest of the book,
though mummy-less, is equally as disturbing and fascinating.
Highly
recommended.
