teratologic

Ballantyne * [759] has summed up about all there is to be said on this national monstrosity, and his discussion of the case from its historic as well as teratologic standpoint is so excellent that

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

The rendering into English of the account of 62 teratologic cases in the human subject with the prophetic meanings attached to them by Chaldean diviners, after the translation of Opport, is given as follows by Ballantyne, some of the words being untranslatable: --

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

The development that their astrology had given to ` généthliaque, 'or the art of horoscopes of births, had led them early to attribute great importance to all the teratologic facts which were there produced.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

Diphallus, or duplication of the penis in an otherwise apparently single individual, is a very rare anomaly, records of only 20 cases having been found in a fairly exhaustive search through teratologic literature.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

For this reason the greatest possible importance was attached to the teratologic auguries which occupy so much space in the fragments of the great treatise on terrestrial presages which have up to the present time been published. ''

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

It may simply be said, in conclusion, that the phenomenon of Biddenden is interesting not only on account of the curious bequest which arose out of it, but also because it was an instance of a very rare teratologic type, occurring at a very early period in our national history. ''

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

In his able article on the teratologic records of Chaldea, Ballantyne 5.1 makes the following trite statements: ` ` Credulity and superstition have never been the peculiar possession of the lower types of civilization only, and the special beliefs that have gathered round the occurrence of teratologic phenomena have been common to the cultured Greek and Roman of the past, the ignorant peasant of modern times, and the savage tribes of all ages.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

Classical writings, the literature of the Middle Ages, and the popular beliefs of the present day all contain views concerning teratologic subjects which so closely resemble those of the Chaldean magi as to be indistinguishable from them.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

` ` There is, however, one real difficulty in accepting the story handed down to us as authentic, -- the nature of the teratologic phenomenon itself.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

If this be so, then the teratologic difficulty is removed, for the case becomes perfectly comparable with the well-known but rare type of double terata known as the pygopagous twins, which is placed by Taruffi with that of the ischiopagous twins in the group dicephalus lecanopagus.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896