Essays In Pastoral MedicineWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Religion
Essays In Pastoral Medicine
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
First aid in illness and injury; Medicine
The first species of the Dicephalus is the _Dicephalus Dibrachius_--a
two-armed, double-headed monster. In this species most of the viscera
are single, but the right and left halves of each viscus are supplied
by the respective foetuses, and the entrail does not become
indistinguishably single until near the lower end of the ileum. There
may be two ordinary kidneys and a third smaller one, two pancreatic
glands, and two gall-bladders. Such a monster may be monauchenous or
diauchenous.
The next species is the _Dicephalus Tribrachius Dipus_--two heads,
three arms, and two legs. There is also a _Dicephalus Tribrachius
Tripus_ (three arms and three legs), _D. Tetrabrachius Dipus_ (four
arms and two legs), and _D. Tetrabrachius Tripus_ (four arms and three
legs). In all these cases there is no doubt of the presence of twins,
unless there might be some doubt as to dual personality in the
Dicephalus Dibrachius. In the Dicephalus Tetrabrachius Dipus and the
Dicephalus Tetrabrachius Tripus there is almost complete duplication
of the internal organs, and the halves of the composite body belong
evidently to individuals distinct in thought, volition, and character.
Each brain controls only its own half of the body. There are four
lungs, two hearts (sometimes in one pericardium), two stomachs, two
intestinal canals down to the colon or lower, two livers (sometimes
joined), four kidneys (or three, one of which is small), two bladders,
emptied at different times through a common urethra.
Dicephali are somewhat common. Förster found 140 among 500 specimens
of monsters. They are rarely born alive. The best known cases of
dicephali that lived for any length of time are:
1. Peter and Paul, of Florence, born in 1316, lived thirty days.
2. The Scotch Brothers, born in 1490, lived twenty-eight years. They
were at the court of James III. Above the point of union the twins
were independent in sensation and action, but below the point all
sensation and action were {81} common. One died before the other, and
the second "succumbed to infection from putrefaction" a few days
later.
3. The Würtemberg Sisters, born in 1498.
4. The twins, Justina and Dorothea, born in 1627, lived six weeks.
5. Boy twins at Padua, born in 1691, lived to be baptised.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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