Fortean Times – September 2019

26 FT383

BODY SYMMETRY

The symmetry of the human

body isverystriking.That

the left side should be the

mirror image of the right,

growing together in synchrony

from infancy to adulthood,

is profoundlymysterious, as

there is no physical connection

between them.The muscles,

ligaments, bones and nerves

of the left hand are thus quite

independent of the right,

but theexperience of a man

troubledbybilateral carpel

tunnel syndrome suggests

there is a “sympathy” between

them. Soon after the CTS in

his left handwas treated, the

symptoms in his right hand

promptly improved. Another

case historyexemplifies the

strange phenomenon: “When

I consultedmyfamily doctor

about the severeeczema on

mylegs, he wrapped one in an

ichthopaste bandage and told

me to come back in afortnight,”

saidmycorrespondent. “‘But

whatabout the other leg?’

I asked. ‘That will go right

with the other,’ he confidently

asserted... as indeed it did.”

This sympathy between the

two sides is alsoevidenced in

the symmetrical involvement

of the joints of both hands in

arthritic conditions, and the

way traumatic injuries may

cause pain and limitation of

movement in the uninjured

limb. And while an attack of

shingles ischaracteristically

unilateral, biopsies of the

skin on the opposing side

show similar, though milder,

forms of nerve damage.

This would suggest that the

two sidesmust be linked

bysome hidden “force”

or lines of communication

unknown to medical science.

Acupuncturists, of course, have

claimed thisfor millennia.

The symmetryextends to

the acquisition of skills.Family

doctorFrancis Rutter, when

young, learnt to play the cornet

where thefi ngering is done

with the right hand, before

later taking up theFrench

horn, which isfi ngered with the

left.Tohis surprise, hefound

that little further learning

was necessary – his left hand

seemed to know instinctively

what his right handwas used

to doing. ‘The Surgery’by James

Le Fanu, D.Telegraph, 7+21Jan

2019.

MAXIMUM FINGERS

MAN

Devendra Suthar’s 28fi ngers

and toes earn him aworld

recordfor polydactylism.The

46-year-old carpenter, who is

married with twochildren, is

known as “maximumfi ngers

man” in his hometown of

Himmatnagar in Gujarat,

northwest India. He says the

extrafour fi ngers don’t affect

hiswork, though he has to

be particularly careful when

cutting. Hewears specially

made shoes so that his

seven toes on eachfoot are

comfortable.The mostextreme

case of polydactyly affected

Akshat Saxena, born with

seven fi ngers on each hand

and 10 toes perfoot, confirmed

bydoctors in India in March

2010.The extra digitswere

removed, so Mr Suthar holds

therecordfor “living with” the

most digits.Polydactyly affects

around one inevery 700 to

1,000 birthsworldwide.Those

in developed countries usually

have theextra digits surgically

removed bythe time they turn

two.guinnessworldrecords.

com; dailymail.co.uk, 3 May;

D.Telegraph, 4 May 2019.

COMA LASTING 27

YEARS

In 1991 Munira Abdulla, 32,

was involved in aroad accident

in the United ArabEmirates

(UAE). Shewas cradling her

four-year-old son OmarWebair

moments before a school bus

ploughed into theirvehicle in

the city of Al Ain. Along with

Ms Abdulla’s brother-in-law,

whowas driving, Omar suffered

only minorwounds, but Ms

Abdulla sustained a severe

brain injury. Transferred to

London, shewas declared to be

in a minimally conscious state,

able to feel pain but unable

to gesture or speak. Shewas

returned to theUAE, where

for years shewas fed through a

tube and given physiotherapy

to ensure hermuscles did not

deteriorate.

In 2017 the crown prince of

Abu Dhabi funded specialist

treatmentfor her in Bavaria.

There, doctors prioritised

physical therapies and gave

her drugs to improveher

wakefulness and sleeping

patterns. InJune 2018, her

son,bynow 32,was involved

in an argument in her hospital

room, which seemed to prompt

his mother to stir. “Therewas

a misunderstanding and she

sensed Iwas at risk, which

caused her a shock,” said Omar.

“Shewas making strange

sounds and Ikept calling the

doctors toexamine her. They

saideverythingwas normal.

Then, three days later, I woke

up to the sound of someone

callingmyname. Itwas her!

Shewas callingmyname, Iwas

fl ying with joy;for years I have

dreamt of this moment.”

His 59-year-old mother had

awoken after 27years. She is

MEDICAL BAG

Thismonth’scasebookofcuriositiesfeaturesamazingawakenings,an

astonishingexampleofbraingr owth,andaprodigiouscaseofpolydactylism

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

STRANGEDAYS

ABOVE: ‘MaximumFingers Man’: Davendra Suthar shows off his record-breaking

digits. His 28fi ngers and toes haveearned him a place in GuinnessWordRecords.