From Thomas Churton 3 September 1877
Park Chambers, | (35 Park Square) | Leeds.
Sep 3. 1877
Dear Sir
Mr. Rickards, a Sub-Inspector of Factories, and formerly a medical practitioner at Armley near Leeds, told me to-day of a case of a tailed infant which he saw some years ago. He amputated the tail, after consultation with the late Mr. S. Smith, then Senior Surgeon to the Leeds Infirmary.1 He has forgotten the name of the patient, but knows the house, and I do not doubt that the name & subsequent history of the child could be obtained, if desired.
He informs me that the tail was two inches in length, moveable (by the child), and could be drawn tightly down— apparently by an extension of the coccygens.
If alive, this person would be now about 23 years old, and it might be worth observing whether his descendants have any tails. It is impossible to doubt the truth of Mr. Rickards’ account of this case. His address is Pool, nr. Otley, Yorkshire
When in Aberdeen in 1876 (July) I saw in the Hospital there, under Dr. Smith-Shand, a man who had 2 nipples on each side of his chest— the second being (I think) just below the ribs.2 Prof. Struthers3 was at the time informed of this case.
I am, dear Sir Your’s very truly | Ths. Churton MD. | Lecturer in Therapeutics | Leeds Sch. Med &c
Chas. Darwin Esq.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Descent 2d ed.: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. London: John Murray. 1874.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Summary
Report of child with tail and man with four nipples.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11126
- From
- Thomas Churton
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Leeds
- Source of text
- DAR 161: 148
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11126,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11126.xml