The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-24

III the American journal OF Medical science,
appearing on the first of April"
THE TWINS.
SEVERAL CURIOUS DEVELOPMENTS MADE IN
H AUTOPSY OF N ENG
A telegram from Philadelphia on Tues
day to the Chicago Tribune says: Yesterday
the long looked for and anxiously awaited
autopsy commenced. The scalpel was first
used on the connecting bond between the
brothers. The abdominal cavities were
entered for the purpose of examining the
vicera. This investigation was attended
with most gratifying success, and the physi-
clans were rewarded in their efforts by find
ing that the lungs, heart, pencreas, liver,
spleen, and alimentary canal were excel
lently developed in each, and that all the
parts above named resembled those of or
binary metals. Approaching the band, the
lower portion of the ensifOrm cartilage, or
breast bone, in each, by doubling or bend
ing out, made a long union, with a distinct
joint at the central point o%funion, on which
the bodies hinge freely. This Joint is some
what similar to, but not so complicated as,
hat at the elbow. The band at the smaller
part has a circumference of min inches, an3
when the link was stretched, and the twins
were placed as far apart as possible, there
was a space OF eight inches intervening.
Yesterday the skin of each body was cut
through posteriorly, and thrown back from
the band and adjacent structure, exposing
fatty tissues in the rectus muscle of each.
THE GREAT QUESTION
of whether they could have been separated
in life was settled in the negative by vari-
one ohIOro;~o1 oaot;Onc urH;oI ,-o-o ~o,l1
The peritoneum, or membraneous lining
of the belly in each was found to enter the
band and four pouches overlapped each
other at the centre of the band. The most
marked feature here was the presence of
two such pouches from the body of the large
brother, Chang, and the upper one shorter
than the other, but each tapping, one from
above and the other from below the single
pouch of Eng. An almost exact idea of
the arrangement of these culs de sac
may be obtained by holding the first Joint
of the forefinger between the thumb and
finger of the other hand. The astounding
and curious fact was developed that a line
passing down the centre of the band would
sever all three of their prolongations, and
open the peritonital cavity of each liver. Ii
the knife has been used in life, death would
have therefore. probably, If not necessary Y,
have resulted. The examination yesterday
and last night also showed that
there was a portal, or linear circula-
ton through the heart, as was seen from
the passage of the injecting matter used in
embalming,the abdominal organs lie in close
contact with these pounches, but are not
continuous into them. To- day the most
important investigation took place by MAX
ing deep sections into the band with the
view of ascertainiDg the umbilical connec-
tons bearing on physiological manifesto
tiOns in the ioetal life of being.
WHAT Is KNOWN.
A Philadelphia telegram to the Chicago
Times yesterday says: The points settled by
the examination thus far, are vastly impor-
tant, the supposition which has obtained
extensive credence among medical men,
that the band was simply of a fleshy
nature being decided in the negative. A
peritioneal connection has been proved to
exist between the twins; that is to say, a
reflection or extension of the peculiar men,
brane lining the abdomen, extended into
the band, though it was not continuous. Sacs
or pouches were formed by this reflection,
possessing no communication between the
two. At the same time the injecting fluid,
which passed into the mesenteric vein of the
one. appearing in the mesenteric vein of the
other, showed the intimate visceral connec-
ton between the two. Another inter-
esting point was demonstrated in the
visceral transposition between the two
The liver of Chang occupied its normal po-
sition on the right side of his body, below
the diaphragm. The liver of Eng was on his
left side, and therefore next to that of Chang
his spleen being abnormally situated on the
right side of his body. The two livers had
evidently at one period of the existence
possibly the fetal period-of the twins been
!. 49, 80 Gland hnt ho6 QuQnfnanu ho-
cSme separate. This is shown in the fact of
the passage of the injecting substance from
the m~esenteric VEN of the one to that of the
other. The tact ofa common umlbllcal cord
between the twins is also settled, the naval
being situated in the middle of the band
during fetal life. Therefore the circulation
was conducted to the twins from the mater
nal system precisely as to a single individual.
Rv what has been stated above, it is evil
dent that a separation of the twins in life
would ave resulted fatally to u or
both OF them; and the fact OF the faint
ing of one of them and the intense nervous
disturbance of the other, when in London
| some few years since, a ligature was drawn
around the band by somee eminent physicians
| and surgeons who strongly wished to deter
mine the prscticability OF such a division, is
fully accounted for by the nature OF the
| connection. The nervous intimacy through
the band was extremely slight, and the
individuality of the two men was so strong
ly marked, that it is not deemed advisable
to examine the brains, nothing further being
! expected from such an operation than the
/ comparison of the weight OF the two. AS 10
the further examination of the band, it may
be stated that the extension of the ensiform
cartilage, or breast-bone, which formed q
| constituent of the attachment was a mere
flexible, fibrous, c~artilaginous substance, In
which there was nothing like an appearance
of an elbow-like joint, as has been absurdiy
! stated in the imaginative reports OF certain
newspaper correspondents.