Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-08-28
From Tie Boston Duly .h0etser.
SOME ACCrU.N L OF TIT SYaMESE BOYS,
LLTG.Y BRoUaHT TO HoSruN

LATE.Y BROUGHT TO Boston.
Dear Sir, In compliance with your request
as well a, ~ ubedieience 10 what | con slider to
be professional duty, undertake to give some
acc cunt of 'he the SIames Boys, and par,icu-
Iarly OF the medium, by which they are united
toge her.
The Toys are supposed to be about Is years
old. They are Of moderate stature; though MOI
as all as boys Of that age in this county -
They have the chinese complexion and pbysi.
ognomy. The forehead is more elevated and
less broad Than thai ofthe Chime Sc, owing 10 m al.
formation. They mu, h resemble each other; yet
NOT so much bu' that upon little observation;
various points Of disslpilarily may be noticed.
The subs ance by which they are connect ed
is mass TWO inches long its upper edge
and abou, five at the lower. LIS breadth from
above dow nwards may be four inc hes; and its
thickness in horizontal direction two inc hes
Of course il is not rounded cord, but thicker
in The perpendicular, than in ;ht horizontal di-
rectioD. Al lis lower edge is perceived a single
umbilicus, through which PASSED a single UNI
bill Al chord TO nourish both children in the
fetal Stale. Placing my hand on ibis substance,
which will denomna,e the chord, was Sur.
prised TO find it extremely hard On further
examination this hardness was found TO exist
prolonged into tie breas, Of each boy. Ira
cling it upwards, found il to be constituted by
a orulongation Of the ensifoym cartilage of the
siernum, or extremity Of the breast bone. The
br, adm Of This cartilage is an inch and a half;
its thickness may be about the eighth Of an
inch.~ The carriages proceeding from each
sterntm meet at an angle, and hen seem to be
connected by igament SO as to form joint -
This Jofnt has motion upwards and down.
wards and also lateral moiion, the latter opc.
rating in such way, that when the boys turn in
either direction the edges Of The cartilage are
found 10 OPEN and shut The lower face OF
this cartilage is concave; and under il is felt a
rounded cord, which may be remains Of the
ulnbilical chord Besides this there is nothing
remarkable felt in the ting substance. I
could distinguish no pulsa'ing vessel
The whole Of this cord is covered by the
skin. # is remarkably strong and has no
great sensibili,y; for they allow themselves 10
be pulled by a rope fastened 10 il, wi,hou, ex-
hib,iHg uneasiness. On ship board one of them
sometimes climbed on the capsian of the v. sseI
the OTHER following as we'll as he could. witbou,
complaining.
When first visited these boys, expected TO
see them pull on this cord in different dircc.
lions, as their attention was attracted by diff.
ferent objects soon perceived that this did
not happen. The slightest impulse of one 10
move in any direction, is Immediately followed
oy 'he other; SO that they would appear 10 be
influenced oy the same wish. This harmony
IN their movements is not The result, of a vo-
liton, excited a, The same moment II H.
bit, formed by necessity. At an early ner;od
OF life it is probable they sometimes differed
Al present this is so rarely The case. that m.
genslemeps who brough, them, have noticed On.