Vila Wolf's Dyslexic Folklorist Ranting

Cutis laxa, an extremely rare connective tissue disorder. Krankheiten der nerven, Muskeln und Haut. 1907.

Dermatochalasia, also known as cutis laxa, is distinct from the more common Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but displays many of the same symptoms, including hyperelasticity of the skin and joints. 

Cutis laxa is caused by defects in the elastin fibers of the extracellular matrix, while Ehlers-Danlos is caused by defects in the collagen fibers of that matrix. Both conditions can be inherited in either an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive pattern, but all are caused by genetic mutations.

Knotted rattlesnake, Aztec 1100-1520 (postclassic)

Compact and smoothly polished, this rattlesnake displays typical Aztec sculptural techniques. Both the musculature of this snake’s body and its head have been sculpted in great detail. The eyes were probably once inlaid, and ferocious fangs descend from the snake’s upper jaw. Snakes were powerful symbols throughout Mesoamerican history, linked with the sky, rain, and agriculture. Aztecs may have seen the snake’s shedding of its skin as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth.