施利茨·苏尔蒂斯。小头畸形患者——那些拥有较小颅骨，因而大脑体积也相对较小的人们。3 张照片

Approximately 8 cases occur out of every 5,000 newborns. This condition usually affects mothers who consumed strong alcoholic beverages or cocaine during pregnancy. Children with microcephaly are destined to live a life of limited intellectual abilities, but they are often kind-hearted, gentle, and friendly, much like small pets. The circus artist and film actor known as Shlitzci Surtis, or simply Shlitz, was born in September 1901 in the Bronx, New York. According to some purely mythical accounts, he may have been born on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico; hence, his name was sometimes accompanied by the title “The Last of the Aztecs”. His parents’ identities remain unknown; it is likely they were poor and alcoholics who sold their underdeveloped child to circus recruiters. In those times, people with microcephaly were considered remnants of an ancient, subhuman race. Shlitz performed in freak shows alongside dwarfs, bearded women, and other individuals with physical abnormalities. His intellectual level was equivalent to that of a 4-year-old child. Due to his lack of self-control and possibly incontinence, he was always dressed in female clothing. This arrangement was actually beneficial for the circus owners, as presenting such a person as a “girl with a ribbon in her hair” – although sometimes not perfectly shaved – created a compelling visual effect. Shlitz gained fame through his roles in Tod Browning’s cult film “Freaks” (1932), where he played himself, and in the naive horror movie “Island of Lost Souls” (1933) based on H.G. Wells’ novel. He performed in nearly all the famous American circuses of the first half of the 20th century. In 1936, the monkey trainer George Surtis became his legal guardian. Until his death in 1960, Mr. Surtis took care of him lovingly. Later, when Shlitz grew older, he was placed in a mental institution in Los Angeles. Although he suffered from depression, his luck turned when Bill Ankс, a sword swallower, who worked part-time at the hospital, recognized him there. After a brief consultation with the doctors, it was decided that it would be best for Shlitz to return to the stage, to join the troupe of Sam Cortes, his employer. He never officially retired; people often saw him in Los Angeles parks, where he fed birds with bread. Whenever a small crowd gathered around him, a show would begin immediately. This continued until Shlitz died of bronchial pneumonia at the age of 70 in September 1971. His grave remained anonymous until 2008, when funds were raised to erect a proper headstone. After his death, he instantly became a legend. Numerous souvenirs were created in his honor, and many paintings were painted depicting his life and stories.