BOOK VII.] History of Nature. 201 



born a Foot and a half high ; others again somewhat longer : 

 filling up the Course of their Life in three Years. We find 

 in the Chronicles, that in Salamis the Son of Euthimenes 1 in 

 three Years grew to be three Cubits high ; but he was in 

 his Pace slow and in his Understanding dull ; but having 

 attained the State of Puberty, and his Voice having become 

 strong, at Three Years' end he died suddenly of a Contraction 

 of all the Parts of his Body. Some while since I saw myself 

 the like in almost all respects, except the Puberty, in a Son 

 of Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman Knight, and a Procurator for 

 the State in Belgic Gaul. Such the Greeks call Ectrapelos ; 

 in Latin they have no Name. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

 Observations of Bodies. 



WE see that the Length of a Man from the Sole of the 

 Foot to the Crown of the Head is equal to the Extent of his 

 longest Fingers when his Arms and Hands are stretched out. 

 As also, that most People are stronger on the right Side ; 

 others are as strong on one Side as on the other : and there are 

 some that are altogether Left-handed; but that is never seen 

 in Women. Men weigh heavier than Women : and in every 

 kind of Creature, the bodies, when dead, are more heavy than 

 when alive ; and the same Parties sleeping weigh more than 

 when awake. The dead Bodies of Men float with the Face 



1 In the year 1747, Mr. Dawkes, a surgeon at St. Ives, near Hun- 

 tingdon, published a small tract called " Prodigium Willinghamense," or 

 an account of a surprising boy, who was buried at Willingham, near 

 Cambridge, upon whom he wrote the following epitaph : " Stop, tra- 

 veller, and wondering know, here buried lie the remains of Thomas, son 

 of Thomas and Margaret Hall, who, not one year old, had the signs of 

 manhood ; not three, was almost four feet high ; endued with uncommon 

 strength, a just proportion of parts, and a stupendous voice; before six he 

 died, as it were, of advanced age. He was born at this village, October 31 , 

 1741, and the same departed this life, September 3, 1747." (See also 

 "Philosophical Transactions," 1744-45.) As Dr. Elliotson has observed 

 (Blumenbach's " Physiology "), this perfectly authentic case removes all 

 doubts respecting the boy at Salamis mentioned by Pliny. Wern. Club. 



