Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-21
J. MYKFLE CoRBKx.

the Subject by Drs. Dos. Jones and
Paul #. Eve.
The following scientific investigation Of
J. Myrtle Corban, the four legged Tennessee
monstrosity, that was held on exhibition
in Nashville some weeks age, we clip
from The pages Of the Richmond and Louis.
Vile Medical Journal, published at Louis
vile, for the month Of july:
NASHVILLE, Tenn, June l6, lS68.-The
undersigned, Ia response to the request of a
number OF physicians and the relatives and
friends Of the unfortunate subject of this
Investigation, give the folleEing testimony
The lnfant, j &. Myrtle Corban, has four legs
and two distinct external female organs oil
generation, with two external openings OF
the urethra and two external openings OF
the double rectum. The external genito-
urinary organs are as distinct as if they be
longed to two separate human beings. The
feces and urine are passed fanost generally
simultaneously, particularly the urine,
from both external urinary and intestinal
| openings situated respectively between the
left and right pairs of legs.
The head and trunk are those of living
well-developed, healthy, active infant OF
about five weeks, whilst the lower port iou
Of the body il divided into the members OIL
two distinct individuals, near the junction
OF the spinal column with the os sderuBa
As far as our examination could re prose
cuted in the living child, we are led to the
belief that the lower portion of the spinal
column is divided or cleft and that there
are tlso PetUlc arches supporting the four limbs
which are situated upon the same plane.
Photographs Of this infant have been
made by the advice and under the super
vision Of one Of our number. .-f- ssss -.-.-.
The reality ifthis case surpasses expec-
tation, and We are Of the opinion that this
interesting lirthg EaOastrosity exceeds in its
curious manifestation Of the powers of ma
tOre in abnormal productions, the cele-
brated "Siamese Twins" .sE-EsF
sElkf JosEPH JONES, Md
Prof of Phys. and Path U. of Nashville.
FFS PAUL. EVE, Md q
Prof of Surgery, University of Nashville.
Further remarks by Professors Jones and Eve,
for this Journal
Josephine Myrtle ia the third Offspring
Of w. II. and Nancy Corban, aged twenty.
five and thirty-foHr, the wife being the
senior by nine years. They are SO much
alike in appearance, having red hair, blue
eyes and very fair complexion, az to pro-
duca the impression of their being blood
kin, which, however, is not the case. Mrs.
COrban is from North Alabama, had borne
one child TO former husband, the child
having dark coloring, and resembling
mostly the father, who had black hair and
lar thr.a oh Ill - . L.,
one already alluded to, now six years old,
another three, aud this infaat monstrOsity,
now to be more infinitely described, born
the 18th of May, 1868, in Lincoln county,
Tennessee, five weeks ago,
Mr.. Corban is Georgian, served in the
Confederate army through the war, and was
severely wounded 10 the right arm and left
hand. The parents are in fair health,
though the mother is aaBglic. She recol-
lects no fright or disturbance during her
last pregnancy. The presentation was for
tunately the head, which accounts for the
preservation of the life of the child. 1t
would be curious TO speculate on the trou-
bic which might have been produced had
the feet or breach presented, while The re-
suit in all probability, would have proved
fatal to the infant, aud possibly to the
mother. Mrs. Corban says that there was
nothing peculiar in the labor or delivery.
When three weeks old the child weighed
ten pounds. IL now nurses healthily, is
thriving well, and we saw it urinate sim
ultaBeously, between the tlO0 pairs Of ldbia
Of the tIgO UHgiR0, situated about six inches
apart. From The crown of the head to the
ambitious the child measures twelve inches,
and from this point TO the toes Of the right
and left external feet, eleven inches. From
the umbiLicaS up, all is natural and we'll
formed all below this, extraordinary and |
Cunatural. An inch below the navel is a
mark Of an apparent failure for second |
one. There are four distinct pretty well |
developed, lower extremities. They exist |
in pairs on both sides Of the medium line |
which resembles The cleft Of an ordinary /
pair of lsgs; but here there are no marks |
whatever of anus or genital organs, and |
upon pressure We discover no Os cGccQgis or /
sdcTEm. The outer legs Of both sides are 1
the most natural Of the four, Though the /
loot of the right one Is clnbbed, bat are
widely separated by the two supernumerary
Dnes, which are less developed, except at
heir junction with the body, from which
hey taper to the feet and toes more diminu-
i've and which are turned inwards. One
oe is ebiid on the left extra inward ex-
remity. At birth these extra legs we're
Olded fat upon the abdomen. We are led
o believe that there are fl0o gteri as yell as
100 rect 4, 10 fact that the pelvic organs are
louble. or course minute dissection
Vould alone expose the true condition of
hese parts. 81 az
Should this infant reach maturity and
he internal generatiVe organs be double,
here is nothing TO prevent conception on
9th sides. Ths 6rst difficulty viii, how
yer, be ia her walking. The outer, or ex-
srnal legs, may be used for progression
he inner or inturned ones, probably never.
hese might be successfully ampntated at
he knee, or higher up.
One Of US reeollects of being in London, ;
January, 1880, at an exhibition of the
iamese Twins, when Sir Ashley Cooper gave
D opinion adverse TO an operation with a
lew to separate them, but which has al.
avs appeared to ms feasible aud without
uch risk Of peritoaitis an operation, too,
hich should undoubtedly be performed in |
lse Of the death Of one of them, for no :
Isdicai man believes in the vulgar i'm l
INdaAoA AAaN AAihdA NAt v, |
! the present case all surgical interference
Of course, Oat Of the question, except L
at alluded to-removal of the extra legs.
Cases somewhat similar to the above have
Cured and been described. Rokitansky @
fers to two completely distinct bodies
njoined at their Ossd sdcra OF eocevoss. "a a.
the well-knoWn Hungarian sisters.
elena and Judith, bora in 1901, who sur, u
we'd their twenty-second year. W
Godfrey St. Hilaire, slludes to cases of a
INK with two heads, some even Janus
re, having four upper and four lover ex- IN
,mities. vi
The case, however, recalled most vivid
by Josephine Myrtle, is that of Rita te
ristius, weli-known 10 Europe, and &C. :.
rately described ia this country wears di
0 by Prof Meigs. In this wonderful in.
nee, there we're two heads, two necks. al
IT arms, but only two legs and was thus IN
reverse Of our case, From the u1abiG. IN
down, there was one well-formed child. TIC
above this all the organs we're double w
reality there existed two beings. The col
iHH and bladder were common to both. z;
all else in the trunk Was double and re-
hncL One would sleep while the other iss
yed, etc, for they had t0o spinal Blarro,as pr
brains, tlu0 hearts, but the last two oecus
d a common gerscdrdigm. Unfortunate 10