Smyrna times., 1865-03-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
Present Condition Of the Siamese
Twins.

The Siayhese Twins have been lost from pub
lie view for the last few years. II was well
known Of them that they had married two Sis
ters, and settled down near Salisbury, North
CaroliDa, on a well stocked plantation. In ae-
dition/to this, they have ample funds invested
through their agent in New York. Through
North Carolina medical gentleman now with
| in our lines, we had the other day an opportu-
nifty of minute and full particulars in regard to
them. Ever since the war began, they have
Continued to reside on their plantation, and
Vlived in the same quiet and harmony as ever
I until within two years. Of course no one ever
thought of drafting than, and their negroes
! prOspered except that when out of temper
! from any cause, it was apt to work itself off in
striking the first one that came to hand, from
which the best escape is to 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 children
were the cause Of this estrangement.
up to the period that each had five children,
an prospeTed wen enough, but one of them
had sixth, and this awoke envy and iealonsv
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 smaller and feebler Of the two, looks, it is
said now fully ten years older than the other
= They can turn back to back or face to face
but that is as far as the remarkable bond thai
untes them permits. 1t is almost certain tha
should either die the other could not survive
e even for more than a few minutes, as there is
.. an artery as large as the femoral artery tha
At connects them. f.rrn -
A few years since they corresponded with
some of the leading surgical operators in Lon
don, as to the possibility of the umbilicu
wnich 1nites them being cut, SO that In cas-
Of tne death Of one, the life of the other nigh
v be saved. At the request of the London Sur
as geon, they visited that city, and many expert
1t ments were tined to determine the safety o
such an operation. Among other things,
~ llgature was tied hrmly for few minutes roupC
the connexon between them, so as TO preycn
the cirulation OF blood through the artery
be But it seemed as it each would expire IL tbi
were longer persisted in. ~ = -
The smaller of the two tainted awav and los
all consciousness, and there were syInnton,
70. that the same effect would follow to the otbe,
but that the process could not be continue
- long enough without endangering the life (
, him who was first to faint. Should the sma
Ter and feebler die, it might be worth viii
hs making the experiment OF operating. but Il
or prospects of prolonging the, life OF the 9th
ill would be very small. Should, however, II
AL larger and more healthy of the twin brothe
he die there would seem absolutely no hope
saving the feebler Of the two. 49,, /,
From all this it is evident, that though u
= connection between these two brothers is We
p remarkable and perfectly unique, it isytet 2
j. 70 absolute as has been usually supposed, >.
es- the American Cyclopedia, for instance, II
-i said that their respiration and circulation
generally synchronous in the calm state q
,ev. their hours Of sleeping and waking, their J;
and sorrows, anger and pain, IDEAS and desiI,
are the same. They realize the idea Of peri
friendship, the two being one, and each q
two in thought and act. As TO IDEAS
ing the same, this Is by no means more nee
Il, sarlly 50 than their similar education and b