The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-11-12

and his depositors are beginning to,
complain of discount strings being
drawn tight. The gloom hanging
about the financial portals of his in
stitution and a; vacant Office with
roll of carpeting to let on Carondalet
street, is the sum and result of all the
brilliant anticipations of that firm
with new wrinkle.
THE sIMEsE TWINs-OF COURSE THEY
CAN BE SEPARATED. -HJa
3a A Correspondent of the Louisville
Medical Journal, one DIR. Paul F. Eve,
writes; Our newspaper editors are
again specializing and writing roman
tic articles on the above question, in
cited by the assertion that Messrs.
Chang and Eng are about visiting
Paris to fiud surgeon bold enough
to undertake their separation. The
whole movement is but another evi-
dence of the lamentable ignorance of
the prurient delight which the world
always takes in wrapping everything
connected with the human system in
the grossest mystery. There never
has been question among medical
men, either in this country OF in Eu-
rope, in regard to the feasibility of the
Separation of these two individuals !;
that they are two beings having dis:
tinct, segregated and perfect organi-
cations, one from the other, as any
other two individuals that there is no
physical, moral or mental unity be-
tween them, the only connection being
short cartilaginous and integumental
band common to the two, the sever
ance of which would, in all probability
be entirely harmless; that no sensa-
tons, nervous impressions, physical,
morbid, mental, or nerVo mental con-
dition ever exhibited a physical ,uun unity
in their dual corporal existence; that
they have. no unity of conceptions,
thoughts, impulses, sc that it never
was the professional opinion that the
death of one of, the brothers would
instantly be followed by that of the
other, or that their separation was
surrounded vi by fearful difficulties
and that the link now binding them
together is notea means of perfect
physical union by which sensations OF
impressions are conveyed from one to
the other. There is, in, fact nothing
more commoml5 betweets the Siamese
than what would have been acquired
byIany other twins indissolubly united
by a hempen or metallic cord and sub
jected, as they have been,. to precisely
similar circumstances from BIRTH, In
deed the band uniting them is almost
insensible,- so much so, that on ship
board, they were pulled about. by 9
rope tied to it,. No pulsating vessel
has ever been detected in it.; though
undoubtedly, tits just hele and no,
where else, in the center of this cord,
made up of gristle and skin, and fol
about an inch on either side, that there
4 are vessels and nerves communicating
from one to the other. Here, but no
where else, a touch on the space indi
Fcatedi is felt by both. Precisely here
and here alone in, the band uniting
tthem, thereis sensation and nothing
else whatever common to both. If they
are inclined to sleep, eat, etc, and per
| form the functionslof life with grea
similarity and always agree in theil
I tastes and habits, we must recollect
1 that their surroundings, position, etc
have all been precisely alike.-Peopl
forget, too that one, of them is irrita
4 BILE, the other very mild one of then
| is the larger, stronger, and the more
intelligent, and he controls the other
n His slightest movement is followed b,
the weakest one from necessity andno
as is generally supposed, from unit
/ of will or harmonious action! The,
j play games, one against the other, an,
! have duarreled just like othel. goo
:; brethren, and more than once. Will
/ at sea, one wanted so take cold batI
= to which the other objected, and Tia
captain had to interfere to produce
: reconciliation. How absurd, then, t
t talk of perfect consentaneous thought
3 action, etc, between them! lI'" L'iIl2
l The decision given by the professio
in Europe and America, thirty-eigf
: years ago, when this case was first pr
: on exhibition, was that the, ligament {
e union, was, eartilaginious, probably,
: prolongation eff the ensiform cartilaagg
e from the sterngm, and the chief, if NJ
e the only, objection to its division hi
been that the peritoneum might be il
Y volyed in the operation. It wa
4 moreover, not one demanded by SUI
e gerry, for the twins had lived, an
e might yet live, for years: the questio
+ of 4separation,- therefore, was wit
: themselves, or their guardians, an
+ not the profession. There were L
i disagreements, no differences, anon
e the doctors on this subject. The cas-
e was involved in no mystery. and IL
a diagnosis was easily made; the Lol
e don Lancet, of 1880, even declare
n that it was more rare than curiou
0 By the coraseur, or knife, any studel
! who has attended a course of lectur,
e may may perform this operation with su
o cess, and which, moreover, should
" attempted even by any one in case''
,e death, taking care to divide the par
a nearer the one deceased. 1t wou
t. appear, then, that there are no goo
II reasons why these naturalized Asiati
II should have been permitted to viola
er the Seventh commandment, by cor
a mioonn'co mon consent, without even a rebuk
lie o. AS there exists no academy Of phi
le sicians and surgeons in Paris, Il