Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a condition in which a person, animal or plant is much below the ordinary size of the species. When applied to people, it implies not just extreme shortness, but a degree of disproportion. Dwarfism is now rarely used as a medical term and is sometimes (but not always) considered impolite or pejorative. Today, the term little person tends to be preferred. According to the Little People of America the human definition of this term is stated as such "a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, among both men and women, although in some cases a person with a dwarfing condition may be slightly taller than that."

Of the hundreds of causes of dwarfism in humans, most are genetic, and most involve single gene variations that affect the structure or metabolism of bone, cartilage, or connective tissue. This class of disorder is referred to by physicians as skeletal dysplasias. Chondrodystrophies, chondrodysplasias, osteochondrodystrophies are also used (fairly interchangeably) in the medical literature to refer to most of these conditions. In many of these conditions, the bones are the primary affected body part, and the person is otherwise healthy. In many others, the genetic difference affects other body systems, causing unusual features or other major problems. Achondroplasia is one of the most common and perhaps the most easily recognized skeletal dysplasia. It affects approximately 1 in 40,000 children, both males and females as it is due to a mutation of an autosomal gene.

The most famous dwarf in history is General Tom Thumb the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883), a dwarf who achieved great fame by way of circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.

Stratton was 4 years old, the son of a Bridgeport, Connecticut carpenter, when Barnum met him. He was 25 inches tall (his final height would be 33 inches) and weighed just 15 pounds at the time Barnum taught him to sing, dance and perform.

In 1844, Barnum took young Stratton on a tour of Europe, making him an international celebrity. Stratton appeared twice before Queen Victoria.

Stratton's marriage on February 10, 1863 to another dwarf, Lavinia Warren, was front-page news. They stood atop a grand piano in New York City's Grace Episcopal Church to greet some 2,000 guests. The best man was George Washington Morrison ("Commodore") Nutt, another diminutive performer in Barnum's employ. Following the wedding the couple was received by President Lincoln at the White House.

Stratton owned a home on one of Connecticut's Thimble Islands. He died of a stroke on July 15, 1883, and over 10,000 people attended his funeral

The shortest dwarf on record according to the Guinness Book of Records is Gul Mohammed (February 15, 1957 – October 1997) of Delhi, India. On 19 July 1990, he was examined by Ram Manohar Hospital, New Delhi, India and he stood 22 1/2 inches tall and weighed 37 and one half pounds.

According to the Associated Press article on his death, "The world's shortest man, who lived a pauper's life despite his fame, died on Wednesday, his doctor said on Thursday. He was 40. Gul Mohammad was admitted to hospital five months ago with breathing problems worsened by heavy smoking. He died following a heart attack, said Dr H. S. Heera, who treated him for 12 years."