522 
ON HUMAN HORNS. 
valuable curiosities in the first collections in Europe. In giving the 
history of a disease so rare in its occurrence, and in its effects so 
remarkable as almost to exceed belief, it might be thought right to 
take some pains in bringing proofs to ascertain that such a disease 
does really exist. I consider the doing so, less necessary at present, 
there being two women now, 1791, alive, and residing in England, 
who are affected by the complaint. I shall however, in the course 
of this paper, bring other evidence from the testimony of the most 
respectable authors who have considered this subject. 
The two following cases contain a very accurate and distinct 
history of the progress of the disease through its different stages, 
and make any further detail of the symptoms entirely unnecessary. 
Mrs. Lonsdale, a woman fifty-six years ago, a native of Horn- 
castle in Linconshire, fourteen years ago observed a moveable tumor 
on the left side of her head, about two inches above the upper arch 
of the left ear, which gradually increased in the course of four or 
five years to the size of a pullet’s egg, when it burst, and for a week 
continued to discharge a thick gritty fluid. In the centre of the 
tumor, after the fluid was discharged, she perceived a small soft 
substance, of the size of a pea, and of a reddish colour, on the top, 
which at that time she took for proud flesh. It gradually increased 
in length and thickness, and continued pliable for about three months, 
when it first began to put on a horny appearance. In two years and 
three months from its first formation, made desperate by the increased 
violence of the pain, she attempted to tear it from her head ; and. 
with much difficulty, and many efforts, at length broke it in the mid- 
dle, and afterwards tore the root from her head, leaving a consider- 
able depression, which still remains, in the part where it grew. Its 
length altogether is about five inches, and its circumference at the 
two ends about one inch, but in the middle rather less. It is curled 
like a ram’s horn contorted, and in colour much reset»bling isinglass. 
From the lower edge of the depression another horn is now grow- 
ing, of the same colour with the former, in length about three inches, 
and nearly the thickness of a small goosequill ; it is less contorted, 
and lies close upon the head. 
A third horn, situated about the upper part of the lambdoidal 
suture, is much curved, above an inch in length, and more in circum- 
ference at its root ; its direction is backwards, with some elevation 
from the head. At this place, two or three successive horns have 
been produced, which she has constantly torn away ; but, as fresh 
ones have speedily followed, she leaves the present one unmolested, in 
hopes of its dropping off. 
Besides these horny excrescences, there are two tumors, each of 
the size of a large cockle ; one upon the upper part, the other about 
the middle of the left side of the head ; both of them admit of con- 
siderable motion, and seem to contain fluids of unequal consistence ; 
the upper one affording an obscure fluctuation, the other a very 
evident one. 
The four horns were all preceded by the same kind of incisted 
tumors, and the fluid in all of them was gritty ; the openings from 
which the matter issued were very small, the cists collapsed and dried 
