Posts tagged 1880s

Top left: Hippocampus sp. internal structure
Top right: Short-snouted seahorse - Hippocampus hippocampus
Center: 1. Syngnathus hippocampus [now Hippocampus hippocampus]
2. Pegasus draconis [now Eurypegasus draconis] - the Little Dragonfish (*unrelated to Syngnathidae family*)
3. Syngnathus pelagicus - the Sargassum pipefish
Bottom: Phyllopteryx taeniolatus -the Weedy Sea Dragon

Despite their remarkable appearance, seahorses are true ray-finned bony fishes (class Actinopterygii, infraclass Teleostei), along with bass, mullets, eels, salmon, and lanternfish.

Many people know of the male seahorse incubating the eggs and giving “birth” to 100-1000 offspring after they hatch, but reproduction is similar throughout the order Syngnathidae (including the seahorses, leafy and weedy sea dragons, and pipefish). There’s a persistent myth that seahorses are monogamous, but that’s not strictly true. The majority of species are serially monogamous, and remain together throughout the mating season (until the male births the babies).

Another remarkable thing about seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) is that they’re the only fish with prehensile tails - even their close relatives, the sea dragons and pipefish, don’t have this adaptation. However, since the seahorses are the only ones that swim upright, and they have the poorest locomotive skills, they need to be able to anchor themselves to the sea flora in order to not be swept away. The Guinness Book of World Records has named Hippocampus zosterae, the dwarf seahorse, the slowest fish in the world, moving less than 5 ft [150 cm] an hour.

Aside from the seahorses, the razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus) is the only other fish to swim “upright”.

Images:
Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, Vol 1. 1881.
Arcana; or, The Museum of Natural History. George Perry, 1811.

Extreme case of kyphotic lordosis. Kyphosis: Greek kyphos, ”a hump” - the over-curvature of the thoracic vertebrae in the upper back. Lordosis: Greek lordos, ”bent backwards” - the inward curvature of a portion of the lumbar and cervical vertebral column. All spines should be lordotic to an extent, but an excessive inward curvature (often caused by anterior pelvic tilt) can cause many orthopedic problems. Orthopadische Chirurgie. Dr. August Schreiber, 1888.

Extreme case of kyphotic lordosis.

Kyphosis: Greek kyphos, ”a hump” - the over-curvature of the thoracic vertebrae in the upper back.

Lordosis: Greek lordos, ”bent backwards” - the inward curvature of a portion of the lumbar and cervical vertebral column. All spines should be lordotic to an extent, but an excessive inward curvature (often caused by anterior pelvic tilt) can cause many orthopedic problems.

Orthopadische Chirurgie. Dr. August Schreiber, 1888.

biomedicalephemera

Heterocephalus glaber - Naked Mole Rat Aside from their rather unsightly appearance, naked mole rats are a very unique species of mammal. Their societies are set up much like your standard ant colonies, with a queen whose sole purpose is to give birth, and individuals who have specific duties in the colony. These include tending the queen, defending their massive labyrinth of underground tunnels, gathering food, and digging more tunnels. Their roles are largely determined at birth, and are difficult to change once the mole rat is an adult. Other cool things about naked mole rats: Their skin is remarkably impervious to pain and itching, due to a lack of proper Substance P encoding in their genes. Their lips are located *behind* their massive teeth, to protect them from damage while the rats dig. They are not truly warm-blooded like other mammals. When they get too cold, they travel upwards in the underground tunnel system, and when they get too hot, they go down into the cooler parts. They don’t need much oxygen or food and have a very slow metabolism. Their lifespan is up to 28 years, thanks to that ridiculous metabolism. Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London. 1885.

Heterocephalus glaber - Naked Mole Rat

Aside from their rather unsightly appearance, naked mole rats are a very unique species of mammal. Their societies are set up much like your standard ant colonies, with a queen whose sole purpose is to give birth, and individuals who have specific duties in the colony. These include tending the queen, defending their massive labyrinth of underground tunnels, gathering food, and digging more tunnels. Their roles are largely determined at birth, and are difficult to change once the mole rat is an adult.

Other cool things about naked mole rats:

  • Their skin is remarkably impervious to pain and itching, due to a lack of proper Substance P encoding in their genes.
  • Their lips are located *behind* their massive teeth, to protect them from damage while the rats dig.
  • They are not truly warm-blooded like other mammals. When they get too cold, they travel upwards in the underground tunnel system, and when they get too hot, they go down into the cooler parts.
  • They don’t need much oxygen or food and have a very slow metabolism.
  • Their lifespan is up to 28 years, thanks to that ridiculous metabolism.

Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London. 1885.

biomedicalephemera: Chelys fimbriata [now Chelus fimbriatus] - Mata-mata Some people say the Mata mata turtle looks like it’s smiling, because of its unusually-shaped mouth. The Indigenous South American nickname for the turtle, “matamata”, means “I kill”, according to Fritz Jurgen Obst. Whether that eponym meant that the turtle was good to kill and eat or the turtle killed a lot is unknown. The relatively large size and a meat quality similar to the Alligator Snapping Turtle makes the former meaning more probable. In the wild, Chelus fimbriatus lives in stagnant waters, blackpools, and muddy streams around the Amazon rainforest. Its fringed neck and murky coloration, combined with algae that grows on its carapace, makes this turtle an excellent ambush hunter. When fish come near it, the mouth opens up, and the mata mata “vacuums” them in. This is in contrast to Alligator Snapping Turtles, which are similar ambush predators, but with a different strategy. The tongue of the snapping turtle acts as a lure, and unsuspecting fish swim right into its mouth. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 1885.

biomedicalephemera:

Chelys fimbriata [now Chelus fimbriatus] - Mata-mata

Some people say the Mata mata turtle looks like it’s smiling, because of its unusually-shaped mouth. The Indigenous South American nickname for the turtle, “matamata”, means “I kill”, according to Fritz Jurgen Obst. Whether that eponym meant that the turtle was good to kill and eat or the turtle killed a lot is unknown. The relatively large size and a meat quality similar to the Alligator Snapping Turtle makes the former meaning more probable.

In the wild, Chelus fimbriatus lives in stagnant waters, blackpools, and muddy streams around the Amazon rainforest. Its fringed neck and murky coloration, combined with algae that grows on its carapace, makes this turtle an excellent ambush hunter. When fish come near it, the mouth opens up, and the mata mata “vacuums” them in. This is in contrast to Alligator Snapping Turtles, which are similar ambush predators, but with a different strategy. The tongue of the snapping turtle acts as a lure, and unsuspecting fish swim right into its mouth.

Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 1885.

Acute Osteomyelitis - Historically known as “Bone Fever”

Osteo-: Bone
-myelo-: Marrow
-itis: Fever

Top: Acute supperative osteomyelitis in femur - note the purulent cavities and pus-filled medullary canal at A, B, and C. In this case, the epiphysis (E) and conjunctive cartilage (D) are uninfected.
Center Left: Acute osteomyelitis of tibia, cicatrices showing common position of sinuses in bone.
Center Right: Acute epiphysial separation due to osteomyelitis following typhoid fever.
Bottom: Early stage of acute osteomyelitis in tibia. Note site “A” - where the infection passed from the periosteum to the interior of the bone. The articular cartilages (C) are sodden with pus from the infected joint.

Acute osteomyelitis is most commonly seen in children and those with diabetes. It is rarely “spontaneous” - the bacteria that infect the subperosteum and marrow have to be introduced into the bloodstream somehow, and there is usually a known source.

Systemic infection or traumatic injury are the most common ways that bacteria (today, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus) can get to the bones. Historically, scarlet fever (caused by group A Streptococcus pyogenes) and typhoid fever (Salmonella typhi) were known to cause a large number of osteomyelitis cases in their wake.

When children develop osteomyelitis, the long bones of the body (the femur, humerus, etc.) are most often affected, whereas the spine and pelvis are most commonly affected in adults. This is because there is much greater bloodflow to the growing long bones in kids, and as such there’s much more opportunity for bacteria in the blood to infect the site.

Early symptoms of what used to be called “bone fever” are fever and bone pain (as one might assume), as well as local warmth and swelling, and an overall malaise. The bone infection usually presents after a patient appears to have recovered from a disease or wound, as it takes several days to become established enough to cause symptoms. Later on, if left untreated, extreme pain and open, often purulent, wounds above the infection may occur, as the bacteria bore canals through the affected bones.

Without treatment, osteomyelitis can lead to sepsis, complete breakdown of affected bones, or gangrene. When the epiphysis is affected by the infection, growth of that bone can be significantly stunted.

Today, the condition is usually treated with long-term, high-dosage, IV antibiotic therapy. If it’s not caught at the start of the infection, debridement of the bone (removing the infected tissue) may be required, and in extreme cases, bone resection (cutting out an entire chunk of infected bone) or amputation may be required. Prior to antibiotics, resection was the most common cure.

Diseases of the Bones, their pathology, diagnosis, and treatment. Thomas Jones, 1887.

Chironectes bifurcatus [now Rhycherus filamentosus] - The Two-pronged Toad-fish [now the Tasseled Anglerfish] Despite its accepted current name as the “tasseled anglerfish”, this species is a true frogfish, from the family Antennariidae. While frogfish are members of the same order as all anglerfish (Lophiiformes), they are fairly specialized dwellers on the continental shelf, relying on camouflage to capture their prey, while the deep-sea (benthic) anglerfish rely much more upon stealth and the allure of their, er, lure. In figure 1a, you can see the structure of the teeth of the tasseled anglerfish. While it doesn’t have the big, stabbing, pointy teeth of some of its cousins, the small, sharp, closely-linked teeth function like tiny hooks in its prey, preventing them from escaping while they’re being eaten. This gives us the additional fun fact that most frogfish (including this one) end up eating their prey while it’s still fully alive and conscious (or at least as conscious as a fish can be) - without any gnashing or tearing of the body, the only thing that kills the prey is suffocation and acid within the stomach. Natural History of Victoria: Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria. Decade VI. Frederick McCoy, 1881.

Chironectes bifurcatus [now Rhycherus filamentosus] - The Two-pronged Toad-fish [now the Tasseled Anglerfish]

Despite its accepted current name as the “tasseled anglerfish”, this species is a true frogfish, from the family Antennariidae. While frogfish are members of the same order as all anglerfish (Lophiiformes), they are fairly specialized dwellers on the continental shelf, relying on camouflage to capture their prey, while the deep-sea (benthic) anglerfish rely much more upon stealth and the allure of their, er, lure.

In figure 1a, you can see the structure of the teeth of the tasseled anglerfish. While it doesn’t have the big, stabbing, pointy teeth of some of its cousins, the small, sharp, closely-linked teeth function like tiny hooks in its prey, preventing them from escaping while they’re being eaten. This gives us the additional fun fact that most frogfish (including this one) end up eating their prey while it’s still fully alive and conscious (or at least as conscious as a fish can be) - without any gnashing or tearing of the body, the only thing that kills the prey is suffocation and acid within the stomach.

Natural History of Victoria: Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria. Decade VI. Frederick McCoy, 1881.

Growth process of Amanita muscaria (fly agaric) fruiting body

Young fly agaric mushrooms first appear very similar to puffball fruiting bodies, but soon develop the typical “warty” look as they progress through the button stage of growth.

The compound muscarine was long thought to have been responsible for the hallucinogenic/delirious effects induced by this fungus, but the levels of the chemical present in the fruiting body are minute, especially compared to other poisonous fungi, which have vastly different effects on the body.

Further testing has shown muscimol to be the compound responsible for these effects, but the isolation of muscarine from the mushroom was not for nothing - it’s from muscarine that we discovered the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the nervous system.

Many autonomic nervous system disorders of the smooth muscles (including problems with vasodilation and hyperemesis - that is, veins that don’t expand and contract correctly, and excessive, frequent vomiting) are directly related to the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, and are treated with either agonists or antagonists to those nerve endings.

Trattatello Popolare sui Funghi. Cesare Cazzani, 1887.

Alphonso & Imogene: An Idyl of Henry’s Carbolic Salve Alphonso loved dearly the blithe Imogene whose face was the fairest that ever was seen; but when he proposed, “Alas”, Imogene said “I would gladly accept and with thee would wed, but with ugly eruptions your face is so scarred that all my life’s future, with you would be marred unless you remove them; so if me you’d have, you must cure them with HENRY’S CARBOLIC SALVE. “You are too ugly to marry me, you ghoul.” Unlike many Victorian trade cards, the product advertised here, Henry’s Carbolic Salve, was not actually complete quackery - it probably wouldn’t have cleared boils and acne very effectively, but carbolic soaps were the product of choice for Henry Lister, when he was trying to push hand-washing and sanitation before surgical procedures. Miami University Libraries Digital Collections. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Alphonso & Imogene: An Idyl of Henry’s Carbolic Salve

Alphonso loved dearly the blithe Imogene whose face was the fairest that ever was seen; but when he proposed, “Alas”, Imogene said “I would gladly accept and with thee would wed, but with ugly eruptions your face is so scarred that all my life’s future, with you would be marred unless you remove them; so if me you’d have, you must cure them with HENRY’S CARBOLIC SALVE.

“You are too ugly to marry me, you ghoul.”

Unlike many Victorian trade cards, the product advertised here, Henry’s Carbolic Salve, was not actually complete quackery - it probably wouldn’t have cleared boils and acne very effectively, but carbolic soaps were the product of choice for Henry Lister, when he was trying to push hand-washing and sanitation before surgical procedures.

Miami University Libraries Digital Collections. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

digitalcollections.lib.muohio.edu

biomedicalephemera: Strigops habroptila - The Kakapo Kakapos have the smallest relative wing size of any parrot, and are also the heaviest parrots out there. Unlike other ground-dwelling birds, they actually have the ability to store fat for future use, and this has given them a quite rotund shape overall. Even in lean times, the kakapo is a huge bird, and did quite well for itself before humans arrived. Even before European colonists landed on the South Island of New Zealand, the native Maori used kakapo feathers (which are incredibly soft, as they don’t need to sustain flight) and kakapo meat at a rate that was unsustainable for a continuing population. However, the rate of decline during that period was relatively slow - though the kakapo would have eventually been hunted out, it was not in any immediate threat. Unfortunately for the great owl parrot, their musky smell and lack of defenses made them easy targets for newly introduced predators and hunters, and the population crashed so quickly that the Kakapo was one of the first animals to have a conservation plan put into place to try and stop the decimation of the masses. Though the conservation plans helped keep the birds safe from humans, the introduced dogs, cats, ferrets, and rats, all continued to wreak havoc. Today, there are only 127 living kakapos, and their continued survival is far from assured. Their evolutionary history and unique physiology and behavior (not to mention their very important cultural position in Ngai Tahu society) make their possible extinction that much more important to try and prevent. A History of the Birds of New Zealand. W.L. Buller, 1888.

biomedicalephemera:

Strigops habroptila - The Kakapo

Kakapos have the smallest relative wing size of any parrot, and are also the heaviest parrots out there. Unlike other ground-dwelling birds, they actually have the ability to store fat for future use, and this has given them a quite rotund shape overall. Even in lean times, the kakapo is a huge bird, and did quite well for itself before humans arrived. Even before European colonists landed on the South Island of New Zealand, the native Maori used kakapo feathers (which are incredibly soft, as they don’t need to sustain flight) and kakapo meat at a rate that was unsustainable for a continuing population. However, the rate of decline during that period was relatively slow - though the kakapo would have eventually been hunted out, it was not in any immediate threat.

Unfortunately for the great owl parrot, their musky smell and lack of defenses made them easy targets for newly introduced predators and hunters, and the population crashed so quickly that the Kakapo was one of the first animals to have a conservation plan put into place to try and stop the decimation of the masses. Though the conservation plans helped keep the birds safe from humans, the introduced dogs, cats, ferrets, and rats, all continued to wreak havoc.

Today, there are only 127 living kakapos, and their continued survival is far from assured. Their evolutionary history and unique physiology and behavior (not to mention their very important cultural position in Ngai Tahu society) make their possible extinction that much more important to try and prevent.

A History of the Birds of New Zealand. W.L. Buller, 1888.

I presume you mean Eulagisca uschakovi?

They’re from the deep Antarctic ocean, and are presumed to be scavengers, though they probably wouldn’t pass up a chance at cannibalism or eating another worm of the Polychaeta taxon should it pass by.

The eversible jaws are needed because the worms wiggle along the bottom of the ocean, and big ol’ teeth tend to get caught up on stuff and hinder movement pretty badly. However, if it didn’t have those jaws, how would it get meat off of the dead animals it eats?

Honestly, I find all of the Eulagisca to look like used kitchen scrubbers that someone put a pair of bad dentures in. Other deep-sea creatures are far more creepy to me (sea spiders *shudder*). I do see where they could be scary to a lot of people, though.

The first Eulagisca was found when the Challenger expedition trawled the Antarctic waters, back in 1885. It wasn’t classified until 1887, however. There was a LOT brought up in those nets that no one had ever seen before…

The Antarctic Invertebrate database run by the Smithsonian has some great photos of the different species of the genus! If you click through all the way to the individual specimens collected, you can see how each of them shows the various traits common to the the Polychaete sub-family Eulagiscinae. Also: how each of them looks like a fleshy scrubby-brush with dentures. :D

There are a few old scientific illustrations of the genus, but holy wow are they boring. All of them are compiled within this re-evaluation of the genus Eulagisca, performed in 1997, following the discovery of the two most recent species, including Eulagisca uschakovi.

See lots more deep-sea creatures on the blog! Even more coming tomorrow morning. :3

More on scaleworms:

WoRMS Genus entry for Eulagisca

Deep Sea News

Bottom image courtesy io9

“In spite of all, some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits” -John Keats The Art of Beauty. Mrs H.R. Haweis, 1883. Edit: Oops. Wrong blog. But it stays for now. Meant to go on Cabbaging Cove.

“In spite of all, some shape of beauty moves away the pall from our dark spirits”

-John Keats

The Art of Beauty. Mrs H.R. Haweis, 1883.

Edit: Oops. Wrong blog. But it stays for now. Meant to go on Cabbaging Cove.

archive.org

Dyspholidus typus - The Boomslang Though it belongs to the same family as king snakes and the most common “grass snakes”, the boomslang is one of the few members of Colubridae to possess a venom that’s legitimately dangerous to humans, and the fangs that are able to inject it (some members of the family have venom, but weak fangs). In fact, the fangs of the boomslang are some of the broadest and most deeply-grooved in the snake world. The venom of the boomslang is hemotoxic. That means that the proteins in the venom affect the blood of the victim, and in the case of the most common hemotoxin in boomslang venom (phospholipase A2, if you’re wondering), it causes red blood cells to rupture. Given enough time with this toxin floating around in the bloodstream, the significant thinning of the blood allows it to flow out of the capillary walls, and can flow out of any part of the body where capillaries are particularly close to the exposed surface. In other words, if you’re bitten by a boomslang and don’t seek help right after being bitten, you’ll likely end up bleeding out from your nose, eyes, mouth, ears, and genital orifices. Because of the significant blood loss associated with a wait of more than 48 hours between bite and antivenin administration (phospholipases are fairly slow-working, compared to neurotoxins and cardiotoxins), full blood transfusions are sometimes needed, to replenish the plasma, red blood cells, and platelets that were lost in the bleed-out. Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. Andrew Smith, 1888.

Dyspholidus typus - The Boomslang

Though it belongs to the same family as king snakes and the most common “grass snakes”, the boomslang is one of the few members of Colubridae to possess a venom that’s legitimately dangerous to humans, and the fangs that are able to inject it (some members of the family have venom, but weak fangs). In fact, the fangs of the boomslang are some of the broadest and most deeply-grooved in the snake world.

The venom of the boomslang is hemotoxic. That means that the proteins in the venom affect the blood of the victim, and in the case of the most common hemotoxin in boomslang venom (phospholipase A2, if you’re wondering), it causes red blood cells to rupture. Given enough time with this toxin floating around in the bloodstream, the significant thinning of the blood allows it to flow out of the capillary walls, and can flow out of any part of the body where capillaries are particularly close to the exposed surface.

In other words, if you’re bitten by a boomslang and don’t seek help right after being bitten, you’ll likely end up bleeding out from your nose, eyes, mouth, ears, and genital orifices. Because of the significant blood loss associated with a wait of more than 48 hours between bite and antivenin administration (phospholipases are fairly slow-working, compared to neurotoxins and cardiotoxins), full blood transfusions are sometimes needed, to replenish the plasma, red blood cells, and platelets that were lost in the bleed-out.

Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. Andrew Smith, 1888.

biomedicalephemera: Harlequin Ichthyosis Comprising less than 0.001% of the cases of ichthyosis, Harlequin-type ichthyosis was uniformly fatal in the past. It is an autosomal recessive condition, with both parents having to carry the same mutation of the gene ABCA12. Historically, it was known to be a disease found in first-degree and second-degree consanguineous unions (children from siblings or first cousins), but today it is not one of the major inbreeding-related or Founder effect syndromes. Harlequin infants are born with thick, plate-like keratin “armor”, often accompanied by ectropion (out-turned eyelids - that’s what causes the blood-like eye appearance). Historically, they would generally die before 14 days of age, due to dehydration, overwhelming infection/sepsis, breathing problems (from the keratin plates restricting inhalation), or related problems. None were known to survive beyond 5 months. These days, some people who are affected by Harlequin-type ichthyosis manage to survive infancy, though the percentage is still barely above half. The high retention rate and cracking of the plates of keratinous cells leaves the dermis vulnerable to disease and dehydration, but frequent application of Isoretinoin can allow the skin to shed keratin layers faster than it produces them. This allows for a higher level of flexibility and protection (because of no deep fissures in the skin). Currently, there are multiple people who have Harlequin-type ichthyosis treated by Isoretinioin and therapeutic baths who have survived long beyond anything ever seen in the past. Despite the inconvenience their condition poses, some of them present a pretty darn inspirational way of living: Nusrit “Nelly” Shaheen is 28 (born in 1984) and studied at Hereward College in the UK. She lives a very active lifestyle, and is the oldest living survivor of Harelequin-type ichthyosis. Ryan Gonzalez is 25, and lives in the United States, where he participates in triathlons and swimming competitions. He uses a different regimen from Nelly in his treatment, where he relies almost exclusively on Isoretinoin ointment. Both require a huge caloric intake to match their skins turnover rate, though. Today, there are 56 other known survivors of Harlequin-type ichthyosis that are beyond 2 years of age. It may seem like a tiny number, but a 53% survival rate at 2-years-old is certainly better than zero percent! Hopefully the future will hold new therapies for all of the ichthyosis syndromes. Image: Harlequin Fetus from 1880 at Museum Vrolik, in Amsterdam, Holland. Photograph by Zzzak.

biomedicalephemera:

Harlequin Ichthyosis

Comprising less than 0.001% of the cases of ichthyosis, Harlequin-type ichthyosis was uniformly fatal in the past. It is an autosomal recessive condition, with both parents having to carry the same mutation of the gene ABCA12. Historically, it was known to be a disease found in first-degree and second-degree consanguineous unions (children from siblings or first cousins), but today it is not one of the major inbreeding-related or Founder effect syndromes.

Harlequin infants are born with thick, plate-like keratin “armor”, often accompanied by ectropion (out-turned eyelids - that’s what causes the blood-like eye appearance). Historically, they would generally die before 14 days of age, due to dehydration, overwhelming infection/sepsis, breathing problems (from the keratin plates restricting inhalation), or related problems. None were known to survive beyond 5 months. These days, some people who are affected by Harlequin-type ichthyosis manage to survive infancy, though the percentage is still barely above half.

The high retention rate and cracking of the plates of keratinous cells leaves the dermis vulnerable to disease and dehydration, but frequent application of Isoretinoin can allow the skin to shed keratin layers faster than it produces them. This allows for a higher level of flexibility and protection (because of no deep fissures in the skin). Currently, there are multiple people who have Harlequin-type ichthyosis treated by Isoretinioin and therapeutic baths who have survived long beyond anything ever seen in the past. Despite the inconvenience their condition poses, some of them present a pretty darn inspirational way of living:

Nusrit “Nelly” Shaheen is 28 (born in 1984) and studied at Hereward College in the UK. She lives a very active lifestyle, and is the oldest living survivor of Harelequin-type ichthyosis.

Ryan Gonzalez is 25, and lives in the United States, where he participates in triathlons and swimming competitions. He uses a different regimen from Nelly in his treatment, where he relies almost exclusively on Isoretinoin ointment. Both require a huge caloric intake to match their skins turnover rate, though.

Today, there are 56 other known survivors of Harlequin-type ichthyosis that are beyond 2 years of age. It may seem like a tiny number, but a 53% survival rate at 2-years-old is certainly better than zero percent! Hopefully the future will hold new therapies for all of the ichthyosis syndromes.

Image:

Harlequin Fetus from 1880 at Museum Vrolik, in Amsterdam, Holland. Photograph by Zzzak.

Nest and eggs of the wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) The wood thrush is a member of the same family as robins and other thrushes, but has a uniquely delicate and beautiful song. Henry David Thoreau once said, “Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.” Like many thrushes, the wood thrush is serially monogamous, staying with a single partner during each breeding season, and raising chicks together. The full three-part song of the male is rarely heard before he establishes a new territory at the beginning of each year, when the northern migration is complete. Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, With Text. Howard Jones, illustrated by Mrs. N. E. Jones, 1886.

Nest and eggs of the wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

The wood thrush is a member of the same family as robins and other thrushes, but has a uniquely delicate and beautiful song.

Henry David Thoreau once said,

“Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.”

Like many thrushes, the wood thrush is serially monogamous, staying with a single partner during each breeding season, and raising chicks together. The full three-part song of the male is rarely heard before he establishes a new territory at the beginning of each year, when the northern migration is complete.

Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio, With Text. Howard Jones, illustrated by Mrs. N. E. Jones, 1886.

Ornithoptera victoriae - Queen Victoria’s Birdwing - Adult, Caterpillar, and Egg This butterfly is a close relative to the largest butterfly in the world, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. The birdwing genres are noted for their bird-like flight, angular wings, bright colors, and exceptional size. Like many Lepidoptera (the order containing moths and butterflies), their caterpillars are toxic, owing to the plants they consume, and are not commonly  eaten in their natural habitat. The butterflies retain this toxicity through adulthood. Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London. 1888.

Ornithoptera victoriae - Queen Victoria’s Birdwing - Adult, Caterpillar, and Egg

This butterfly is a close relative to the largest butterfly in the world, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. The birdwing genres are noted for their bird-like flight, angular wings, bright colors, and exceptional size.

Like many Lepidoptera (the order containing moths and butterflies), their caterpillars are toxic, owing to the plants they consume, and are not commonly  eaten in their natural habitat. The butterflies retain this toxicity through adulthood.

Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London. 1888.