172 Dr Hibbert’s Accowtt of David Gilbert Tate, 
are in very indigent circumstances. About two years previous- 
ly to the birth of this youth, they had a daughter, who, from 
her infancy, displayed every symptom of idiotism. There was 
that torpor of the mental faculties which is denoted by an in- 
docility of apprehension, and an articulation which could not 
be rendered subservient to the purposes of speech. Some time 
after her birth she became blind. She still lives, and is twenty- 
seven years of age. 
About two years afterwards, was born David Gilbert Tate, 
having mental defects similar to those of his sister Grace Tate, 
but adding to them the want of sight and hearing. It may be 
remarked, that the mother of Tate has had eight other chil- 
dren, who manifested none of the defects which, conjoined in 
one individual, render his case so singular. 
On my visit, in company with Mr Nicholson of Lochend, and 
Captain M^Dermid, (two gentlemen to whose hospitable kind- 
ness in Shetland I am much indebted,) to the miserable hovel 
occupied by the Tates, one of the worst in the island, the la- 
mentable object of our visit first arrested our attention. He was 
warming himself by a fire, occupying the centre of the hut, in 
a posture not unlike that which is described as peculiar to the 
Moors ; that is, he was not actually seated, but seemed most 
at ease, with his chin occasionally resting upon his knees, whilst 
his extremities were gathered up to the trunk. The sternum was 
much protruded. The lumbar and dorsal vertebrae appeared to 
be somewhat curved, but whether or not this was the effect of 
disease, as of rachitis, or was an habitual position of the trunk, 
which was bent forwards equally with the sternum, I could not 
learn. It was, however, a matter of great surprise, to find that 
this position was maintained in his gait, and to learn from the 
mother, that no attempts had been made to teach him to walk 
erect. The parents of David had, from his birth, regarded him 
in the hopeless light of a forlorn creature, whose peculiarly be- 
reft lot no tuition could ameliorate. Consequently, if we could 
be assured, that disease had not induced the position of the 
body alluded to, it might possibly afford a reply to the question, 
v/hether the erect attitude is the natural or acquired position of 
man. 
To David Tate, the erect attitude was certainly not habitu-. 
al, and when induced by coercion, was maintained with veiy 
