Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-04-08
Present Condition of the
Siamese Twins.

well known of them that they had married
two sisters, and settled down near Salisbury
in North Carolina, oh a well stocked plan.
ta'ion' In addition 10 this they have am
pie funds invested through their agent in
New York. Througha North Carolina
medical gentleman now within our lines,wc
had the other day an opportunity of min.
ute and full particulars in regard to them.
Ever since the war began they have con.
sinued to reside on their plantation, and
lived in the same quiet and harmony as ey.
er until within two years. OF course no
one ever thought of drafting them, and
their negroes prospered, except that when
out of temper. from any cause, it was apt
10 work itself off in striking the FIRST one
that came to hand, from which the best
escape was 10 keep out Of the way. The
brothers probably never would have had
any difficulty, but that their wives, though
sisters, turned away their hearts, and chill.
dren were the cause Of this enlargement.
Up to the time that each had i've chill
dren, all prospered vel enough but one Of
them had sixth, and this awoke envy
and Jealousy TO such degree that the two
sisters, not being bound together like The
twin brothers, would no longer live under
the same roof, though we believe, still in
different houses on the same plantation -
The brothers are now it seems, about fifty
years of age, but one we believe the small.
er and feeblsr of the two, looks il is said,
now fully ten years older than the other
They can turn back 10 back er face to face,
but that is as far as the remarkable bond
that unites them permits. 1t is almost
certain that should either die the other
could not survive even for more than
few minutes, as there is an artery as large
as the fnmoral artery that connects them.
A few years since they corresponded
with some of the leading surgical opera,
tors IN London, as to the possibility ofthe
umbilicus which unites them being cut, so
in case of the death of the ono, the life Of
the other might be saved. AT the request
of the London Surgeon, they vi sited that
CITY, and many experiments were tried to
determine the safety Of such an operation.
Among other things, ligature was tied
firmly for few minutes round the con.
nexion between them, so as 10 prevent the
circulation of blood through the artery
Blu, it seemed as each would expire if this
were longer persisted in.
The smaller Of the two faiLted away
and lost all consciousness, and there were
symptoms that the same effect would fol.
low to the other but that the process could
not be continued long enough withsut CO.
dar gering the life Of him who was first TO
faint. Should the smaler and feebler die
it might be worth while making the ex-
pertinent Of operating, but the prospects Of
prolonging the life of the other would be
very small. Should, however, the larger
and more healthy of the twin brothers die.
there would seem absolutely no hope Of
saving the feebler ot the two
From all this it is evident, that though
the connection between these two brothers
is very remarkable and perfectly unique,
it is yet not SO absolute as has been usually
supposed. In the American Cyclopaedia,
for instance, it is said that "their respira.
tion and circulation are generally cyncho-
nus in the calm state and their hours of
sleeping and walking, their joys aud sor-
rows, anger and pain, ideas and desires
are the same, They realize the idea Of
perfect friendship, the two being one, and
each one two in thought and act" AS to
ideas being the same, this i. by no means
more necessarily SO than their similar ed.
ucaton and habits would occasion. Each
one can hold conversation with different
person at the same time. One does no,
necessarily know, therefore, what may be
communicated to the other, although their
feelings and passions are generally SINH
lar, owing to tho same causes ope rating
uEon both. Even this is not necessarily
tho case, especially, we suppose as to the
degrees of ieeling. Since the breaking Out
OF the rebellion, they have both dressed
in the Confederate gray and they are both
members of the same church, having uni
ted with small Baptist church in their
neighborhood, of which they have beer
considered very worthy members, thougt
born Samese, Philadelphia L5dgsr.