The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-01-29
Sketch of the S;amese Twins.

The Siamese Twins, Eng and Chang,
lately deceased Ia North Carolina, were
afflicted with illness in the year 1871.
They were born at a small village On the
cnast Of Siam. in the wear 1911. Their
parents got their living By fishing, and un-
til 1929, when E,s ani Chans were
brought TO the United States, they made
their living by selling shelli,h. Their
mother bore seventeen children. at one
time she gave birth TO three and never less
than two. But none of these children
were de'ormed. The twins we're united at
the anterior Par. Of tie chest by IL rrolon-
gstian of kind Of fe>hy baud the size Of
ii: hand. This band Of flesh was about
two Inches broad and four inches thick
The hole mass wns tough aud capable Of
being cpn.i lerubiy extended. One could
whisper in the ear Of one of them without
the other hearing; while volatile salts np-
piled u the nost,ils Of one had no effect on
the other; and while pinchiag the arm of
one excited no seps satisn in tie other, still
if you but stuck &. nin in the exact ven ticai
center Of this cor -ting link both would
finch from she hurt. The twirs were sell
dCm observed to converse wi h each other.
Thsy played good game of GraIghts,
made p-e,tv muah the same moves, aud at
the same time, and frequently played
against each other.
After attracting vast amonnt of atten-
ton from scientists and physioloeists in
the I'D world, they married two sisters.
and settled dow1 near Salisbury, \. c., on
wel!-stockea plantation. In addition
they had ut one period ample funds inrcs-
ted though their agent III New York. Dur
ing the war they continued to reside on
their plantation, and llve1 in the Same
quiet and harmony rs ever, until some few
years afterwari. OF course, no one ever
thought of drafting them, and Their negroes
prospered, except when out Of temper from
any cause, it vas apt to work itself off in
striking the first one that came to hand,
from which the best escape was to keep
out of the way. The brothers probably
never would have had any difficulty, but
that their wives, though sisters, turned
away their hearts, and children sere the
cause cf this enlargement. Up 10 the
period that each had i've ch; ;ldren all pros
pered well encrgh, hut enc of them hal
sixth, ard this awoke envy and Jealousy to
such Il degree that the twin sisters, not be-
ing bound together ike the twin brothers,
woul,! no longer live under the same roof
The brothers were, it seems, about "a Year,
of age. but one, we believe, the smalle' and
feebler of the two, locked, il is said, ten
years older that tie other. They could turn
either back to back or face to face; but
that is as far as the remarkable bond that
united them permitted. 1t was almos.
certain that should either die the other
could not survive even more than few
minutes, as there WIS artery as large ~ the
rrmo,al artery thst connected them. A
few years since they colresrorded with
some OF the lending surgical operators in
London. as 10 the possibility Of the UNI
bilious being cut, so that in case Of the deui h
At tie request of the London surgeon they
visited that city, and many exper rnen's
we're trie,. to determine the safety of such
az orerat.on. Among other things liga-
| ture vas tied firmly for n few minute,
| around the connection between them, So
as to Irevcnt the circulation of blood
| through he artery. But i seemed rs il
| each would exr,re if this were persisted in
| The smaller Of the two tainted away and
lost ali consc iousness, and there were
! symptoms that the same effect would fol
low the other, but the process could not be
! continued long enough without enlnngering
the life of him who WAS the first to faint
| Since the breaking out oe the rebellion tn.
t,i.s both dressed in the Confederate gray
AMI were both members Of the same church
having united win a small Baptist churcl
IN their neghborheol of which they We're
consii-:ed vety worthy members, though
born Siamese.