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Human beings who suffer from obvious congenital deformities represent a form of monstrosity that is uncomfortable for us to confront on many levels (social, political, psychological, and even critical). This visceral discomfort is indicative of the taboos associated with mutations. The human monster or 'freak,' a result of genetic deviance, has existed for as long as the species itself has (ancient references to monstrosity occur in The Bible in 4 Ezra.5:
"There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters."
Almost unnoticed, eugenics has progressed in a little more than a century from an aspiration to a reality: few children with genetic abnormalities are allowed to come to term in advanced countries.
Acromegaly is a chronic metabolic disorder caused by abnormal production of growth hormone after the skeleton and other organs finish growing. It most commonly affects adults in middle age, and can result in severe disfigurement, serious complicating conditions, and premature death if unchecked Causes Acromegaly is a syndrome that results when the anterior pituitary gland … Read more
Gigantism is abnormally large growth due to an excess of growth hormone during childhood, before the bone growth plates have closed. Causes The most common cause of too much growth hormone release is a noncancerous (benign) tumor of the pituitary gland. Other causes include: Carney complex McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) … Read more
Cephalic disorders are congenital conditions that stem from damage to, or abnormal development of, the budding nervous system. Cephalic is a term that means “head” or “head end of the body.” Congenital means the disorder is present at, and usually before, birth. Although there are many congenital developmental disorders, this fact sheet briefly describes only … Read more
Conjoined twins (also known as Siamese twins) are a pair of identical twins born with part of their body joined together, sharing tissue which ranges from a band of flesh to major organs. Cause Identical twins develop when a single fertilized egg, also known as a monozygote, splits during the first two weeks of conception. … Read more
Hypertrichosis (also called Ambras Syndrome or werewolf syndrome) is an abnormal amount of hair growth on the body. There are two distinct types of hypertrichosis: generalized hypertrichosis, which occurs over the entire body, and localized hypertrichosis and hirsutism, which are restricted to a certain area. Symptoms The excess growth of hair occurs in areas of … Read more
The business of Embryologist Etienne Wolff, of Paris’ College de France, is to make monsters. His principal items of equipment are an X-ray machine, a few delicate instruments and an incubator stocked with fertile hens’ eggs. The results are enshrined along the walls of his spotless laboratory in row upon row of glass jars filled … Read more
Double freaks is a large category that includes all freaks that have more than one major organ in double. It goes from the four-feet or double-breast freak to the real siamese twins. In the lower case, there is one conscious mind whereas conjoined twins have two minds. These two reunified individuals sometimes share their feelings … Read more
Here are the freaks that bear strange names from the Sideshow. Most often, some terrible disease or accident forced them to display their defects against money because they had no other place to go than the Sideshow. Albino Albinism is the absence of epidermal pigmentation, causing white skin, white hair, white eyelashes, white eyebrows. and … Read more