A Relation of One Hannah Taylor, a Very Extraordinary Child of about Six Years of Age, Who in Face, etc. Was as Large as a Full Grown Woman; and of What Appeared on the Dissection of Her Body: By Dr. Hen. Sampson, Fellow of the Colledge of Physicians, London

I. A Relation of one Hannah Taylor, a very Extraordinary Child of about Six Years of Age, who in Face, &c. was as large as a full grown Woman; and of what appeared on the Dissection of her Body: By Dr. Hen. Sampson, Fellow of the Colledge of Physicians, London. Hannah Taylor was born in Crouched Fryars June 12, 1682. She was till three Years old very sickly, lean, and not able to go alone; but about Bartholomew-tide, 1685, she began to grow strong and fat, which increased till the time of her Death: She was also a very forward Child of Understanding, had her Pubes grown thick and long, as also Hair under her Arm-pits, and a Downyness upon her Chin, unusual with those of her Sex, except in some aged Persons. About half a Year before she dyed she began to complain of Pains, especially on her left side, and voided Gravel often by Urine, and with pain. Her Breath was freight, as is usual to fat People, especially when she went up a pair of Stairs: Yet on that very Evening before she dyed, she walked abroad, was merry and lively, went to Bed, and slept as at other times; but after Midnight awaked, cryed out of a great Pain in her Side, and said, Mother, I want Breath, I shall dye; and in less than a quarter of an hour was quite dead. The Measures and Weight of her Body were as followeth. Round the Breast a Yard and 2 Inches, over the Hips at the Navel 1 Yard 5 Inches, over the Stomach a Yard, her height 1 Yard wanting an Inch, round the Thigh 1 Foot 9 Inches $\frac{1}{2}$, Calf of the Leg 1$\frac{3}{4}$ Inches, upper part of the Arm 1$\frac{4}{5}$ Inches $\frac{1}{2}$, the Wrist 7 Inches, 7 Inches, her weight 95 lb. She had a Face as big and broad as any fat grown Woman of 20 Years. Her Chin and Breast were so thick laid with fat, that she was forced to hold up her Head (or rather throw it backward) as she walked. These Measures were all taken before the Dissection. The thickness of the Fat upon the Muscles of the Abdomen was 2 Inches, and not much less upon the Sternum. After the Fat was removed (which was as much as is usually in most fat and grown Persons) the Abdomen was yet very protuberant and round, and yet the Fat contained therein not extraordinary much, neither on the Omentum or Mesentery; yet it was more than is usual in well fed Persons, and so much, that with the bigness of the other Internal Parts (which were all of the largest size) it made her have so big and protuberant a Belly. The Guts were all inflamed and thick, the Liver large, the left Kidney (where was the seat of her Misery) exceeding large, and double the bigness of that on the right side; upon the Dissection whereof there issued out a vast quantity of Blood, both from all the Vessels of it, and out of its Pelvis; and after several times Spunging of it, yet it came flowing in from the emulgent Artery: a certain Argument of a great Plenitude in the descending Trunk, which caused the Inflammation in the Mesentery, and the Nephritis in the Kidney: Here was also some small Gravel, which possibly had choked up the Ureter, though that was not examined; but because there was no Blood in the Bladder I justly make this Conjecture. The Uterine Parts had nothing bigger; or more remarkable than in others of her Age. The Testicles were large, but smooth and white, without Protuberances or shew of Eggs. The Bladder had a Purulent Matter in it. When the Breast was denuded of its Fat, it shewed no bigger than of another Child of her Age. The Cavity was totally filled with the Lungs and Heart. The Heart was well, and had very strong Fibres, and no Polypus. But the Lungs, besides that they were extended to fill up the whole Cavity, were annexed strongly to several parts of the Pleura, and had several Protuberances as big as Nutmegs filled with a Pulp like an Atheroma, and were in divers places rotten and corrupted. Quare, Why one with so bad Lungs was so Fat? Why had she not rather a Consumption? The evident cause of her Death lay in the Inflammation of the lower Parts, but the suddenness thereof must be from some impression which that Inflammation made upon the Original of the Nerves moving the Diaphragm, Bronchia and other Parts of Respiration, for her great and only Complaint was want of Breath. Besides her very Face and Head were miserably coloured with redness of stagnant Blood. The Head was not opened. II. An