Description of the Missourium, or Missouri leviathan : together with its supposed habits, and Indian traditions concerning the location from whence it was exhumed : also, comparisons of the whale, crocodile, and Missourium, with the leviathan, as described in 41st chapter of the Book of Job / by Albert Koch.

  • Koch, Albert C.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Description of the Missourium, or Missouri leviathan : together with its supposed habits, and Indian traditions concerning the location from whence it was exhumed : also, comparisons of the whale, crocodile, and Missourium, with the leviathan, as described in 41st chapter of the Book of Job / by Albert Koch. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    TUK MISSOUIHUM. |7 Other southern amphibious animals, would render Ijis flesh ut- terly unfit for food either for man or beast. Vel-se 7th—Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? On the hard armor of the Mis- sourium no barbed iron, harpoon, or spear, would make any impression. From the 8th to the 11th verse is shown the im'mense strength, power and ferocity of the animal. The Missourium shows indisputable marks that he was possessed in a high de- gree of all these chai'acteristics. Verse 12th—I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. This alludes to the circumstance that the animal was not altogether of an aquatic nature, but visited occasionally the land; therefore none of his parts or comely proportions were concealed, as would have been the case had he been entirely aquatic, for then his form would have been more or less liidden by the surrounding fluid. The 13th and 14th verse—Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. The first sentence again has reference to his shield or covering. Doubtless no one could approach him without incurring imminent danger—not even near enough to discover the face of his garment; or, in other words, to examine the construction and particular parts of his covering. The latter part of the 13th and the whole of the 14th verse, take particular notice of his enormous grinders and immense tusks, more especially to the situation which these latter oc- cupy in the skull. Reference is also made to the hnanner of catching wild animals by means of the lasso, or double bridle, as practised in the east, and of the futileness of an attempt to capture the animal in this way. From this circumstance I am satisfied that this could have been no other animal, ei- ther fossil or living, heretofore discovered, than the Missou- rium; and whoever will for one moment examine the head must be struck with the remarkable similitude already noticed: the tusks coming out of the head until they arrive at a parallel vvilli the no^e, then turning suddenly back and form-