The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-08-29
Divorce Extraordinary epa.
ration of the Siailsese
Twins.

IL is stated that the Siamese twins, Chang and
Eng, contemplate 4 visit TO Paris for tie purpose
Of having the operation Of their physical separa-
ton performed. Many years ago, when this prop
O-itiOn was made 10 them. the assent of both
could not be gained To IL. One of the brothers
was in favor Of a dissolution of the partnership of
flesh but the other, inspired mefu morris. OF,
perhaps. moved with q sublime idea ef united des-
tiny, or ilial utilization until death should them
sunder, stubbornly objected, and the laughing
knife of the surgeon, winch had been sharIened
for the dclectable OJeration, was forced To rust III
retiracy, guiluess Of blood from a dual heart with
n single life. These twins have been before tie
public for about 10 year,. having been brought 10
England from siam in 1877 OF '2S, by Captain
Bunker, now a resident III New York.
On visiting America, they determined 10 make
this land their home. and purchased q farm in
North Carolina, on which they settled and have
lived there eve. since, except when they made an
occasional tour. They married sisters, and each
of them i now the father of nine children. The
scruples Of the opposing brother 10 Il surgical op-
Grafton have lately been overcome, 1t IL stated, by
considerations of old age and probable death of
either Of them. There are now both 90 years old,
despite the jOvial remark of the larger that he had
no way Of accounting for the difference in their
size except the hypothesis that he was some Elk
months older than his brother. The questions
that now present themselves TO their minds are
Should one contract disease Will the other neces-
saTily be affected thereby? Should death ensue in
one will IL come as n Consequence TO the other?
The prevalent opinion among medical men, and
the popular impression abroad generally, II that
while they support two separate physical ~cxi=ten-
ces, there Is but one set Of sensations and mental
conditions in q word, that there Is an entire
union Of the life principle. But there are some
men Of science who maintain the contrary and
who have constantly manifested an itching desire
to sunder the mystical tie, that one or the other
theory may be proved false. IL Is to a gratitca-
tiOn Of this desire that the SiaInese twins have at
length consented, If report prove true. They
have agreed 10 submit their bodies, perhaps their
lives, "a an experiment which finds n spring in Gu
riO-ity alone. The apprentice who cut open the
bellows 10 zee wherS tie wind came from was not
half ~ mOrbidly affected az are these scientists
who desire To pTy into the soul at the expense of
lIie, III search OF that which sustains life. What
can IL matter u the Siamese twins whether they
are inseIarably joined or not? \ few years will
prove il. II disease or death in the one will inc
vitality produce it in the other, then they are
physically one, aud the knife of the Partisan doc
tor that incises the cord that binds them will be
stained with their LIES blood. If the contrary
proves true, then they need have no fears from
thOee sources, for they are separate exis:ences, and
disease III one will not necessarily affect the other,
and their deaths need not be simultaneous. I'm
der thee circumstances, science can afford to wait
u few years for the qualification of her curiosity
Tor the solution of the problem will in the future
be as complete as the dash of any French surgeon
can now make 1t.