Every so often, a true medical mystery comes along that baffles researchers and fascinates everyone. That’s exactly what happened with these five people during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Some people might call them freaks, but that’s not how they saw themselves. They’re just ordinary people trying to live their lives with an extraordinary condition.
1.) Ella Harper, also known as “The Camel Girl.” She got the name because she preferred to walk on all fours.
Ella was born with a strange and rare orthopedic condition that caused her legs to bend backwards.
During her life she worked as a circus performer, earning an impressive $200 a week. She lived from 1870 to 1921.
2.) Fannie Mills, also known as “The Ohio Big Foot Girl.”
Fannie had a condition known as Milroy Disease, which caused her feet to grow to an abnormally large size. At their biggest, her feet were 17 inches long.
3.) Maurice Tillet, also known as “The French Angel.”
Maurice was a two time heavy weight champion in the early 1900’s and a movie star during the 1940’s.
As a teenager, he was diagnosed with acromegaly, which causes bones to overgrow and thicken. I certainly wouldn’t want to face him in the ring.
4.) Frank Lentini, also known as “The Great Lentini.”
Frank had a fully functional third leg that was the result of a partially absorbed conjoined twin. He spent his life in the United States performing on the circus show circuit. He even had a wife and several children.
5.) Jean Libbera, also known as “The Double-Bodied Man.”
Jean was unique in that he had a parasitic twin attached to his chest area. X-rays revealed that a small head with a circumference of six inches was embedded inside Jean’s body. He even named the twin Jacques.
Via: Imgur
Modern doctors would have a field day with these people if they were alive today. (Something tells me they wouldn’t like that very much.) Still, it’s so remarkable that these people existed and managed to live fairly normal lives.
