The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-11-01
The double Child,
A DpnpPpetONAT. nFsCDTpTION,


The Delaware (OhlO) .Gaasts gives a
full description of the "doublo child" Of
which, mention has been made in the
papers:
"Ten days ago the wife Of Samuel Fin
lev, a farmer reading In Morrow county,
about five miles southeast Of Ashley, gave
birth TO one Of the most singular m0ltor:
nations Of tic human species ever heard
ofin any age or country: The mother
was not allowed sight Of her offspring
until after tho physician who had been
summoned arrived, whenit WIS exhibited
to her, and, MS We are told, caused her to
swOon. And no wonder, for human eyes
probably never looked upon such an
anomalous development Of the human
form.
One OF our prominent physicians who
has seen and examined this strange freak
Of nature, iavOrs US with tho following
clear and accurate description: ID. s >.
This wonderful thing con DO truly cali
cd o double child. There is butone spine,
at each extremity Of which thereis q per.
fcctly formed head and face. Each has
well.formed shoulders, arms and hands,
and good chest, containing lungs and
heart, US any other human being. Each
has also stomach and liver. There Is
but one navel, which is in the centre OF
the abdomen, cquidisLant from tho two
heads. 1t is at the middle Of. the body
that the two ore grown together. The
abdomen appears to be but one, anu the
organs contained in it, below tho stomach
and small intestincs, arc probably COM
mon to the two, as there Is but one OK
ternal outlet i. as.
Upon one side, ut right angles to the
body, there is well.foFmed pair Of hips,
legs and feet Upon tho opposite side
there is one large leg, possibly tho con-
solidatiOn Of two legs, upon tho extreml'
ty Of which there are eight toes: Most
monstrosities are repugnant to look upon.
This one is not so in any respect, except
ing this leg. & .tls
This child, or those children are now
ten days old, and are doing US well as
children mostly do at that period Of OK
istencc, It nurses ut both heads. One
will be asleep while tie other is crying,
and sometimes both will sleep or cry at
the same time. The natural outlets from
the body arc in their natural position, be-
tween the perfect pair Of legs, and arc
common 10 the two, there being no outlet
upon tho opposite side. In sexit is,a
female. The length from the top of
one head to tho top Of the other is
twenty inches, and the weight at birth
was ted pounds.
There are no terms In our language ap'
plIcablc to such phenomenon; itissome-
thing for which the dictionary makers
have made no provision whatever, and
which utterly confounds oil grammatical
rules as to gender, number and person.
Let any one attempt 10 write about it,
being precise as to the meaning and apT
plication Of terms, and lie will at once
recognize tho poverty Of language. W
AS mightSbc expected, the house Of MIR.
Finley has during the pNst ten days been
Overrun with visitors. come 10 witness this
wonderful curiosity. So great is the press
that 1t has been found necessary to charge
IN admission fec which Is, now fixed at
one dollar. We understand the parents
have been offered ten thousand dollars for
the dual inGlnt, the oiler being uhCondi-
tional rs to whether It should live or not.
The offer has not been and probably will
not be accented. ~ -