Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1878 — New York’s Man Baby. [ARTICLE]

New York’s Man Baby.

There it in that city a boy, or- man, 1 years and 6 months old, having been m in J 857, that is in alt respects, ysically and mentally, noising more than an Oftergrowft infant Its parents are Mr. and Mrs. Jaques Jenn, of No. 165 Chatham street, industrious French people. The child was born on the 10th of June, 1857, and was christened Jule. Up tp his eighthmonth p e <ji<j not differ from other children; but at that age he was taken sick with measles, and for six months it was thought he could not live, one childish disease following rapidly upon another. His last ailment, and the one to which his parents ascribe his deformity, was one that baffled the attending physician, and is described by the father as “the English disease.” Both physical and mental growth seemed to be arrested by this disease. The boy is not quite three feet high, but measures four feet around the waist, being inordinately corpulent. His head is well shaped, but looks much too large for his body, being more than two feet in circumference. His hands and feet are exceedingly small, like those of a 1-year-old infant, and he weighs 160 pounds. Every effort has been made to educate him, but he is not capable of learning anything. When he was 10 years old he was scarcely two feet high, but weighed almost 100 pounds. The physician who attended at his birth predicted that he would not live to be 14 years old, but he is now in good health. The boy’s skin is remarkably soft and white, like a baby’s. All of his habits are childish, and he can speak only a few words, such as “papa,” “mamma,” “yes,” and “no.” His extreme corpulence prevents his walking, but he is very active with his hands and feet. He amuses himself with childish toys, and is very shy when strangers are about.