The excess may be either in size or in number, and these again may affect the body as a whole or individual parts.

1. General Hypertrophy Of The Body: Giants

We include here persons who greatly exceed in height the stature of ordinary men.

As a rule a man who measures 7 feet and upwards is counted a giant; there are cases on record from 7 to 8 feet in height, and even up to 9 feet, although many of the accounts are doubtful. In some cases sexual maturity is delayed or remains absent, and most giants become prematurely old and do not live long.

2. Local Hypertrophies

Excessive growth of one half of the body is a rare form of malformation. We have also unilateral hypertrophy of a limb, or of individual fingers or toes (see Fig. 1). The bones of the skull sometimes grow excessively, especially the lower jaw. There are also hypertrophies of the larynx and tongue, and more rarely of the internal organs, which as they have no explanation in any acquired disease, are regarded as malformations.

Fig. 1. - Hypertrophy of second and third toes. (W. I. M).