How this Russian 'freak' conquered America
Public domain; Russia Beyond
Fedor Jeftichew had a rare disease — hypertrichosis. He earned fame in the 19th century as a circus freak, displaying his unusual condition to the public. The producer of the show even made the poor boy growl, prompting the media to dub him “Jo Jo the dog-faced boy”.
Today, the various causes of the rare genetic disease hypertrichosis (excessive hairiness) are well known, and range from hormonal disruption to malfunction of the nervous system. But, back in the 19th century, there was no explanation for it. Or rather there was: atavism, i.e. reversion to an ancestral form, whereby it was believed that “hairy” people were closer to animals. Such individuals — whose entire face, neck, shoulders and back were often covered with hair — were called “dog people”.