DEFORMITIES (Lat, dcformitos, ugliness, deformity, from dc, away, off forma, form, shape). Varieties of form which mar the ex ternal appearance. Deformities may be divided into congenital and acquired, according as they occur before or after birth. The former (lass were considered by the ancients to carry some important meaning in their mysterious shapes, and to show the anger of the gods; hence. they termed them monsters, from monctrqrc, to show; and even in later times they were popularly be. lieved to be the result of the most hideously unnatural combinations. Modern scientific writ er• have, however, made them a subject of special study under the name teratology (Uk. repay, tcras. monster, and 26';oc, logos, science), and their researches have shown that deformities generally depend on some arrest of development of the fetus, or some accidental position it has assumed, or some inflammatory disease which has caused unnatural adhesion of parts. It has been found that in Paris one monster occurs in about 3000 birth:. Deformities are more com mon among domestic than wild animals, among, mammal in than birds, and are very rare among fishes and the invetebrata.
It is a common belief that the mind of the mother has an influence over the shape of her infant; lint although sonic singular coincidences have occurred. there is no scientific proof that such is really the case. Yet the theory was uni Nersall• adhered to in the Ages; it was, in fact, often appealed to in the interest of mercy, as a loophole of escape for pregnant women who. by the barbarous ignorance of the time, might be condemned to torture. Even at the present day. no scientifie demonstration to the contrary has proved sufficient to undermine the absurd belief. That deformities are in many eases hereditary may be seen in the instances of additional fingers and toes, and of harelips. It seems uncertain whether the male or female parent chiefly influences the occurrence of de formity in the offspring. Cases arc reported of a family of three with harelips, whose father alone is similarly deformed: and another family of three, with perfectly formed mouths, whose mother has an uncorrected and extremely un sightl• harelip. The chief congenital deformities mry he classed under the following heads: I 1) Deformity as regards the number of parts.—The Sirens, for instance. have apparently but a single inferior extremity, which tapers to a point, and the Cyclopes have but one eye. In smite ease; the head itself, or sonic organ, as the brain, may be absent, Such deformities, from a deficiency of part, may also result from amputation of por tions of the limbs of the fetus. when still within the uterus, by the pressure of the umbilical cord. Curiously enough, however, it often happens that this intrauterine amputation of parts in directly to an exactly opposite condition—name• ly. a multiplieation of parts arising from the
stumps, left by these uterine amputation,. the fetus in the early stage. of its growth appear ing to posses: something of the power of re production of Harts observed in most of the lower orders of animals. The parts most commonly reproduced are fingers and toes, or. most com monly of all, only abortive portions of these, as little projections, from the stump of the limb, with traces of nail, and sometimes a single joint with an imperfect bony delelopment. We see a new growth of little lingers or toes according to the member lost, and this power shows itself sometimes without being preceded by such au injury, in additional fingers, toes. etc. These parts are generally close to the similar natural ones, hut not always, as, for instance, an ear in the neck. (2) Deformity with regard to size. —This may involve the whole body. as in dwarfs, of whom there have been some remarkable peri patetie specimens: the Corsican fairy was only 2 feet inches high; Mlle. Crachami, the smallest child that ever lived. died at ten years of age, only 20 inches in height. This kind of deformity is not necessarily hereditary; the father of Borowlaski, who was only 39 inches when thirty years, old, had six children alter nately short and tall, and dwarf women have brought forth infants as long, when extended. as their mothers. In sonic eases One limb only is diminutive. Of course, deformities the oppo site of these exist, such as giants, or instances of premature or excessive local growth. the Irish giant, measured S feet 4 inches when he died at the age of twenty-two. Such in dividuals are generally subject to premature decay. (3) Deformity as regards shape.—This results genera ly from retarded growth. the parts of the embryo not consolidating as growth advances, as in harelip, or from irregular muscu lar contractions as in clubfoot (q.v.) ; or by two or more parts coalescing, as two fingers; or in cyclopy, when both eyes run into one. (4) Deformities of color are frequently coexistent with a tendency to. or the presence of, some dis ease. There may be a deficiency of coloring matter, as in albinos; or an apparent *increase, as in cyanosis (q.v.). or 'blue disease,' arising from the partition between the right and left sides of the heart not being completed; or from pigment abnormally placed in the body, a: in the mottled individuals shown in caravans. (5) Deformities of oven,- from the lateral halves of the embryo not completely closing, as seen in clefts of the back, the palate, etc. Ac quired deformities will be noticed under their special names.