47 ® 
Sir Everard Homers Observations 
parents, judging from recollection, believe that it never after 
increased. It was so transparent, that when exposed to the 
sun the rays passed through it as they would through a horn 
lantern. He was unable to walk. At this age, he caught the 
natural small-pox, which was so violent as nearly to prove fatal. 
Upon his recovery, the head shewed no disposition to increase, 
and the child in all respects began to improve, and for the 
first time learnt to walk. At fourteen, the skull appeared 
completely ossified. At nineteen years, the time I saw him, 
he was five feet six inches high ; his head measured in cir- 
cumference 53|- inches. He had grown in the course of the 
last year about two inches, which is more than he had usually 
done in any one year. 
All the organs of sense are entire ; savoury food is agree- 
able to his taste, but he is moderate in eating. His sight is 
good, but looking with attention at objects more than half an 
hour, appears to strain his eyes. His head is so heavy, that 
the muscles of the neck are unable to support it for many 
hours together : when he lies down, the head is supported by 
another person. 
He sleeps with most ease on the right side, and the left side 
of the head appears to the eye to be rather the largest. In 
lying down, there is, what he describes to be, a momentary 
thrilling heat felt on the upper part of the brain, in the line of 
the longitudinal sinus Lying on his back strains his eyes so 
much, that he cannot continue in that posture ; stooping for- 
wards brings an oppression upon his eyes. The least weight 
in his hand, as a tea cup, makes it tremble: all sudden noises 
jar his head, and produce giddiness. When he falls down, the 
jar renders him insensible; at one time this was the case for fif- 
teen minutes, without being attended with any bad consequences. 
