The Wild Boy of AveyronThis text is a translation of a young doctor's five year account working with a patient described as a wild boy taken in the woods of the Department of Aveyron. A specimen of primitive humanity, human only in shape; a dirty, scarred, inarticulate creature who trotted and grunted like beasts, ate with apparent pleasure the most filthy refuse, was apparently incapable of attention or even of elementary perceptions such as heat or cold, and spent his time apathetically rocking himself backwards and forwards like the animals at the zoo. Expert opinion thought that the boy's wildness was a fake and that he was an incurable idiot. The author, however, came to the conclusion that the boy's condition was curable and the boy was consequently placed under the young doctor's care. |
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animals appeared arranged articulation attention believe Bicêtre Boy of Aveyron caresses Châlons-sur-Marne chestnut child civilized Condillac deaf delight difficulty effect emotional faculties escape exercise experiments expression eyes fact feeling fingers functions gave GEORGE HUMPHREY give given governess habits hand hereditarian human human voice ideas imitation impatience indicated intellectual faculties intelligence intense Itard Journal des Débats kind larynx least less letters longer Madame Guérin means memory ment mental method mind MURIEL HUMPHREY nature necessary needs never nevertheless objects obliged observations organ ovum Paris Pinel pleasure porringer pronounced puberty pupil replaced result Rodez Savage of Aveyron seen seized sense of hearing sensibility showed signs small number social society soon sound speak speech spite success taste tears things tion tivated took touch Victor violent vowels Wild Boy woods word lait young savage