Anomalies and Curiosities of MedicineGould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Science
Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine
Gould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Abnormalities, Human; Medicine -- Anecdotes
It had two heads and seemed to have duplication
in all its parts except the anus and male generative organs.
Montgomery speaks of a double child born in County Roscommon, Ireland,
on the 24th of July, 1827. It had two heads, two chests with arms
complete, two abdominal and pelvic cavities united end to end, and four
legs, placed two on either side. It had only one anus, which was
situated between the thighs. One of the twins was dark haired and was
baptized Mary, while the other was a blonde and was named Catherine.
These twins felt and acted independently of each other; they each in
succession sucked from the breast or took milk from the spoon, and used
their limbs vigorously. One vomited without affecting the other, but
the feces were discharged through a common opening.
Goodell speaks of Minna and Minnie Finley, who were born in Ohio and
examined by him. They were fused together in a common longitudinal
axis, having one pelvis, two heads, four legs, and four arms. One was
weak and puny and the other robust and active; it is probable that they
had but one rectum and one bladder. Goodell accompanies his
description by the mention of several analogous cases. Ellis speaks of
female twins, born in Millville, Tenn., and exhibited in New York in
1868, who were joined at the pelves in a longitudinal axis. Between the
limbs on either side were to be seen well-developed female genitals,
and the sisters had been known to urinate from both sides, beginning
and ending at the same time.
Huff details a description of the "Jones twins," born on June 24, 1889,
in Tipton County, Indiana, whose spinal columns were in apposition at
the lower end. The labor, of less than two hours' duration, was
completed before the arrival of the physician. Lying on their mother's
back, they could both nurse at the same time. Both sets of genitals and
ani were on the same side of the line of union, but occupied normal
positions with reference to the legs on either side. Their weight at
birth was 12 pounds and their length 22 inches. Their mother was a
medium-sized brunette of 19, and had one previous child then living at
the age of two; their father was a finely formed man 5 feet 10 inches
in height. The twins differed in complexion and color of the eyes and
hair. They were publicly exhibited for some time, and died February 19
and 20, 1891, at St. John's Hotel, Buffalo, N.Y. Figure 45 shows their
appearance several months after birth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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