North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-04-05
VOL. 4 NO. 81.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE
sIAMEsE TWINS.

| The Siamese. Twins have been lost from
public view for the last few years 1t was
well known of them. that they had married
two sisters, and settled down near Salisbury
IN North Carolina, on we'll stocked plants.
tion.. In addition to this they have ample
funds invested through their agent in New
York. Through North Caroen medical
gentlemen now within our lines, we had tie
other day an opportunity Of minute and full
particulars in regard to them. Ever since
the war begun, they have continued to reside
on their plantation, and lived in the same
| quiet and harmony as ever until within two
years. Of course no one ever thought of
drafting them, and their negroes prospered.
except that when one out of temper from anv
cause, 1t is apt to work itself off, in striking
the hrst one that came to hand, from which
the best escape was to keep out of the way.
The brother 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 estrangemcnt,,'
Up to the period that each had five chill.
dren, all prospered well enough, but one of
them had sixth, and this awoke envy and
Jealousy TO such degree that the two sis
tcFs, not being bound together ike the twin
brothers, would no longer live under the
same roof, though, We believe, still In differ
ent ho2ses On tie same piqntaticn The
brothers are now it seems, about fifty years
Of 2se, bu. oae, " believe, ,he. smaller and
ieeO!eF Of the two, looks, il 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 do The remarkable bond that unites
them permits. 1t is almost certain that
should either die the other could not survive
even Tor more than few minutes, as there is
an artery as large as the ioemoral artery that
connects them.
a few years since they correspondent with
some OF The leading surgical operators in
London, as to the possibility of the umbilicus
which unites them being cut, so that in case
Of the death Of one, the life of the other
might be saved. At the request OF the Lori
don Surgeon, they visited that city,. and
many experiments were tired TO determine
the safety of such an operation. Among
other tllnSS;a Hgature was tied firmly for a
few minutes round the coanexion betvcen
them, SO as to prevent the circulation of blood
through the artery. But it seemed as if
each would expire if this were longer pc.
sisted in.
Tue smaller Of tie two tainted away and
lost al consciousness, and there were symn-
toms that the same eject would follow to the
other but thai he.pTccess could not be con.
unucd :ong enough without endangering the
lie OF hjm who va, first 10 faint. Sbould
the smaller and feebler die,i might be worth
while making the experiment of operating,
but the prospects Of prolongng the life of
the other would be very small Should how
ever the larger and more healthy of the twin
brothers die, there would seem absolutely
no hope of saving the feebler of the two.
From all this it is evident, that through
the connection between these two brothers
is very remarkable and perfectly unique, it is
ye' hoI 81 aosoIule as has been usually SUP
posed. In the American Cyclopadia. for in
stance, it is said that ''their respiration and
circulation are generally synchonus in the
calm state, and their hours Of sleep:hr and
waking, their joys and sorrows, 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 is by
no means more necessarily SO than their sim
liar education and habits would occasion.-
Each one can bold conversation with different
persons at the same time. One does not
necessarily know, therefore, what may be
communicated to the other, although their
feeling and passions are generally similar
owing to the same causes operating upon
both. Even this is not necessarily the case,
especially, we suppose, as to the degrees of
feeling. Since the breaking out of the rebel
lion, they have boil dressed in the Confed..
crate gray, and they are both members of the
same church, having united with small Bap.
tist church in their neghborhood, of which
they have been considered very worthy MEM
bers, though born Siamese.
E&e Hon. John p. Hale, ex-senator from