Monday, November 24, 2008

Week 5 - Kaspar Hauser, the Child of Europe


One of the first documented cases of a child locked away in a sensory-deprived area for an extended period of time is that of Kaspar Hauser in 1828. Kaspar was locked away in, essentially, a dungeon for 13 years. The only company he received was from an unidentified visitor who brought Kaspar bread and water daily, but did not allow Kaspar to see him. The man taught Kaspar to write and speak a few phrases, but the child did not understand what he was writing or saying. Kaspar Hauser's case is important not only because it is one of the first, but also because it contradicts other cases of children raised in neglectful environments.

Kaspar Hauser was found wandering into Nuremberg, Germany, on May 26, 1828; he wore strange clothing, walked with a staggering and reeling gait, and carried with him a letter a "Captian of the 4th Squadron" (Newton, 2002). He constantly repeated the same three phrases: "I want to be a rider like my father is," "I would like to be such a one as my father is," and "I don't know." Additionally, the boy repeated the word "horse" over and over again; when a soldier gave the boy a wooden toy horse to play with, he reacted "with tears of joy," and "kept his eyes fixed on it" (Simon, 1978). For six weeks, Kaspar lived with Hiltel, a prison-keeper, in his tower; Hiltel's son, Julius, took special interest in the strange boy and began to teach Kaspar to speak. Afterwards, Kaspar was sent to live with Professor Georg Friedrich Daumer, where he was taught to read, write, and draw; additionally, he was studied intensely by Paul Johann Anselm Ritter von Feuerbach, a famous lawyer.

For many months, Kaspar learned to read and write with the help of Professor Daumer. In fact, in February of 1829, Kaspar had learned enough to write his own autobiography. The language contained within it is simple, and often incorrect; however, it follows the rules of grammar, and makes sense. Kaspar's autobiography even describes his 13 years of life in the dungeon; he describes how he "had two toy horses, and a toy dog, and such red ribbons with which I decorated the horses" (Newton, 2002). These toy horses are the reason Kaspar repeated the word "horse" over and over, and was overjoyed when he received a toy horse.

In December of 1831, Kaspar Hauser was officially adopted by Philip Henry, the Fourth Earl of Stanhope, who had become interested in Hauser and had visited him on several occasions. However, as stated aptly by Michael Newton, "what began as an infatuation would soon dwindle to indifference, and then lapse into hostile disenchantment" (Newton, 2002). Stanhope became convinced that Hauser was an impostor, and had come to Nuremberg "with the intention of receiving charity from the captain of cavalry." However, when people began to view Kaspar as a neglected child, Kaspar himself began to act out the role, "and the longer he acted this part the more difficult... to extricate himself from it".

Many have questioned whether the suddenly disenchanted Stanhope had any hand in Kaspar Hauser's unfortunate death. The event occurred on December 14th; Kaspar had gone to the gardens of Ansbach to meet a man who claimed to know of the young man's birth. The man stabbed Hauser in the chest, and then quickly ran off. Hauser managed to run home; however, he died within three days. His murderer was never identified, nor found. It is also unknown whether or not Stanhope was involved in the murder or not.

The case of Kaspar Hauser has set a precedent of sorts for other children raised in neglectful environments. After his unfortunate death, an autopsy was performed on Kaspar's body by Heidenreich in 1834; the brain was additionally examined. It was discovered that Hauser's liver was enlarged and quite soft, a characteristic of malnutrition. For the most part, the structures of Hauser's brain, such as the hippocampi, were intact and structurally normal. However, the brain's cerebral cortex had fewer gyri than normal, resulting in a shrunken appearance similar to the brain seen in week 3's blog (Simon, 1978). Additionally, when Kaspar first arrived in Nuremberg, he was only 4 feet 9 inches tall. This significant small stature caused by neglect is now known as the Kaspar Hauser Syndrome of psychosocial dwarfism.

However, Kaspar's remarkable ability to learn language even after spending 13 years in a dark room also shows the contradiction it poses to other similar cases. How is it that Kaspar spent such a prolonged period of time in a sensory deprived, neglectful environment, and yet retained the ability to learn language and grammar to the point of being able to write his own autobiography? It is possible that Hauser received sufficient stimulation and learning from the mysterious man who brought him bread and water; however, Hauser never understood what he was writing or saying, and he only knew three phrases. Kaspar's ability to learn language at such a late age after 13 years in a dark room seems to deny the existence of critical periods.

Ryan

References

Newton, M. (2002). Savage girls and wild boys: A history of feral children. London: Faber and Faber.

Simon, N. (1978). Kaspar Hauser's recovery and autopsy: a perspective on neurological and sociological requirements for language development. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 8(2), 209-217.

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