2-714-145 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'Peter the Wild Boy, Found in the woods of Haemlin', 1821. Portrait of Peter the Wild Boy (c1713-1785) who was found in 1725 living an entirely feral existence in the woods near Hamelin, the town of Pied Piper legend, in Germany. He walked on all fours, and could not be taught to speak. He is now believed to have suffered from Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. From "Wonderful Characters: Comprising Memoirs and Anecdotes of the Most Remarkable Persons of Every Age and Nation", Vol. II, by Henry Wilson. [J. Robins and Co. Albion Press, London, 1821]