HERCULEAN BOY

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1931, Page 7

HERCULEAN BOY

IS HIS STRENGTH A DISEASE?

LONDON, August G. Is 11. G. Wells’ “Bou” a reality—a substance which, used as food for animal or plant life, will make all living things become enormously biggeV than they were before taking boom. The feats of a. boy in Berlin seem to indicate there may be means of acquiring power as well as size. An alternative theory is that such abnormality may be a disease. Here is the story of Herman Liehterfield, of Oranienberg, a suburb of Berlin. At birth the boy is said by his mother to have been a particularly delicate child. It is only since his third year that he has developed Herculean strength in a surprising degree. in strong contrast to his physical power in his sensitive spirit. He cries more than other boys of his age and is upset and tearful at the slightest scolding or thwarting, seemingly unconscious of the terrible power of selfdefence he possesses.

Young Hermann can break chains of enormous thickness with.pjiq turn of his wrist, can twist a large _ piece of iron into a spiral, and repeat the same feat with his teeth, and is capable of letting any heavy weight be placed on his prone body without suffering the pain or even death which would inevitably supervene in the ordinary human being. Ho weighs 108 German pounds—in the neighbourhood of 7st—and the circumference of bis chest is just over 39 inches. Medical experts are inclined to be-, lieve that the boy’s case results from some abnormal development of the glands which - control muscular development. His case is at tile present time engaging the attention of medical experts.