Fortean Times

The man with the iron skull

Over the years, the Dutch nation has had a strong interest in human curiosities. Earlier this year, the journalist Jaco Berveling published the book De man met de ijzeren schedel (“The Man with the Iron Skull”), telling the story of five Dutch medical prodigies.

The Man with the Iron Skull of the book’s title was a native of Amsterdam named Willem, born in 1848, who emigrated to

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