Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-27
LARGEST CITY CIRCULATION.


The siamsse Twins.
From the Louisville Medical Journai.l
Oar newspaper editors are again spec
ulating and writing romantic articles
on the above question, melted by the
assertion that Chang and Fog are about
Waiting Paris TO hud surgeon bold
enough to undertake their separation.
The whole movement is but another eyi-
dence OF the lamentable ignorance Of the
public in medical matters, and 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 ques-
ton among medical men, either IN TINS
country or in Europe, 10 regard 10 the
Feasibility Of the separation oil these Two
individuals; that they are two beings
having distinct segregated and perfect
orcania atoms, one from the other, as any
other Two individuals; that there is no
nbvsical. moral or mental unity between
them the only connection being short
cart;Iarinous aud Instrumental band
common 10 the two, the severance OF
which would in all probability, be eu-
tirely harmless; that no "sensaiions,
nervous impressions, physical, morbid,
mental or nervo mental condition eve,
exhibited a physical unity 10 tneir ouai
corporal existence; that they nave DO
uniiy Of conceptions, impulses, thoughts.
etc; that it never was the proiess,ona'
oniniou that the death Of one Of the
brothers would instantly be followed BY
thai Of The other, or that their separa-
ton was surrouu led by learnt d'mcu'-
ties, aud that the Ink now binoing mem
togetheri is DO, a means Of perfect pny:icai
union by which sensations or impressions
are conveyed from one 70 tue o'ner'
There is, in fact, noth'ng more comm1s
between these Siamese than what wouio
have been acquired oy any o'ner WINS
indissolubly united BY metai',c coIo ana
subjected, as they have ever oeen, 70 s'mr
liar circumstances from ineir ol,'n. in-
deed, the band unihng tnem is.inos. ~
sensible, so much so tna', on SUPP ooara'
they were pulled aoout oy rope az
tached to It, NO puisauug Vessei mss
ever been detected In II, tnougn' un-
doubtedly, 1t IS just mere ana noSnerc
else, in the center OF tnis core, maoe up
of gristle aud skln' ana, ior ABOUT "a incs
on either side, that tnere are 'esse,s aau
nerves communicating from sne .oene
other. Here, but nowhere e,se, ,oucn
on the space indicated is Ieit oy oo,n'
Precisely here, aud here alone, Ia tns
band uniting them, tnere Is sensa.lor anu
nothing else whatever CON mon 70 oo'n'
If they are inclined 10 sleep, eau e,e;,
and perform the functions oil NE win
great similarity, ana agree away ~
their tastes and naoiis' we mus. leconec'
that their surroundings, posluon; elc.,
have all been precisely ahke, Ieop'e
forget, too, that one OF tnem Is ir'i.ao,e,
the other very mid one OF tnem Is tne
larger, stronger, and the more intelhgent,
and he controls the other. his snentest
movement is followed by tne weaker one
from necessity, ana nor, ss 10 eeneraiIy
supposed, from unity oil Will OF narmoui-
GUS action. They play games one
against the other, and have quarreled
just like other good brethren, ana more
than once. While al sea, one wanted 70
take cold bath, to which the other oo-
jected, and the captain had 10 interfere
to produce a reconciliation. how aD
surd, then, to tax OF perfect consehtane.
Gus thought, action, ETC., between them
The decision given by the profession
in Europe and America, thir.y'eight
years ago, when this case was flrst put
on exhibition, was that the iigament OF
union was cartilaginous, probably pro-
longation of the enslform cartilage from
the sternum, and the chief, II not the
only objection to its division has been
that the peritoneum might be involved
in the operation. 1t was moreover not
once demanded by surgery, for the twins
had lived and might yet live for years;
the question of separation, therefore,
was with themselves or their guardians
and not the profession. There were no
disagreements, no differences among the
doctors on this subject The case was
involved in no mystery and the diagnosis
was easily made; the London Lancet, of
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