The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-09-06
MISCELLANY.
FROM TIE .s4.iUH7oN K1GLg.

HARRIsoNBvRc, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VA.
-=--ls Az-= 4 LISIJS NIiyiP a
A kitten of the following remarkable descrip.
ton was this day, August 5t, 1893, presented
TO me tor examination. 1t was yeancd. as UNI
derstasd at Andrew Cutters ia this town: but
whether dead or alive, have not been informed
1t is now dead, but possessed without doubt, the
organs necessary to life. 1t is of The ordinary
size OF kittens newly yeaned, it must therefore
have attained maturity, and have died in tie pro-
cess OF parturiton, which is also confirmed By
the fact that it discovers no symptoms OF putres
cence. an external view of it had the following
appearance: II seemed to be two kittens APP
pied to each other breast-Nvise. Il had, howe
yer, but one head, one mouth, two eyes and two
ears that were distinctly seen; on the bact of
the head however, there was an appearance of
two more ears very isnperfrcty formed Before,
II had four legs, two standing out ON each SIDE
and from the umbilicus or navel backwards it
was separated into two, and these parts were re-
gularly formed 1t had but tine unblcus and
but uTnbiiical cord. From pretty careful
and minute dissection, it exhibited the following
internal appearances. We have said it had but
one head /; this however was nearly rs large as
two heads ought to have been, and contained 4
volume OF brains proportionaily large, the whole
OF which were included in one common cavity,
from which it was easy to trace the passage of the
spinal marrow into the back bones for there
were two Of these, with their respective ribs,
| but these were applied to each ether III such a
! way, that those of the right side of the one
were made to meet and unite with those of the
lett o. the other. II therefore bad but one com.
mon cavity OF the thorax or chest and one COM
mon daphragen inthc chest were found but
one trachea or windpiPe, and two iobes Of hags,
Z. e. one set Of lungs, and from the smalness of
the bulk and the collapsed state of them, l am
inclined 10 think they were never inflated with
air. There were also found two hearts with
theurespective blood vessels. Ii had but ose ESQ
phagts oP gullct, and common stomach and in
festival canal; this however, divided into two
rectums. or straight CUTS, at the place where the
posterior extremities separate from each other,
VIZ. at the umbiiicus they were both of the fe-
male sex.
The reflections would make on this curious
subject are, that originally it must have consis-
ted ottwo distinct embyoes, that these in an early
stage OF their existence, have by q peculiar & per
hpaps mrobid condition ofthe uterus been made to
grow together in such way that their breasts
were opposed to each other their heads lateral
y that this union probably took place prior to the
complete formation of the moath, throat, stom.
aeh, intestines, & the respiratory organs that ae
conneAon between thenbecame SO intimate that
The purposes of the economy could now be ser.
red by single set of the above mentioned parts
and Is not the circumstance of It's having two
hearts and two sets OF Blood vessels AN addition
al confirmation ofthe opinion already entertained
by physoiogists that the heart ard blood vessels
arc the first organised parts of animal bodies =
But why did the hinderpaIts grow separate: On
these parts; II il probable the uterus had ~, cen
traction and the growth of animal bodies depen-
ding entirely upon the blood vessels, there being
two sets of these, theywoui produce two bodies
whenever they were permitted to do Sd.
PEhCHEY HARRISON