Illustrative of this O'Connell tells of a case in Hebra's clinic.

The patient, a man five feet nine inches in height, was completely tattooed from head to foot with all sorts of devices, such as elephants, birds, lions, etc., and across his forehead, dragons.

Not a square of even a quarter inch had been exempt from the process.

According to his tale this man had been a leader of a band of Greek robbers, organized to invade Chinese Tartary, and, together with an American and a Spaniard, was ordered by the ruler of the invaded province to be branded in this manner as a criminal.

It took three months' continuous work to carry out this sentence, during which his comrades succumbed to the terrible agonies.