Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-01-31
SKETCH OF TIE sIAMEsE TWINS.

afflicted with illness in the year 1871.
They were born at small village on
coast of Siam, in the year 1911. Their
parents got their living by fishing, and
until 1929, when Eng and Chang were
brought to the United States, they made
their living by selling shell6sh. Their
mother bore seventeen children. At
one time she gave birth to three and
never less than two. But none of these
children were deformed. The twins
were united at the anterior part of the
chest by prolongation of a kind of
feshy band the size of the hand. This
band of flesh is about two inches broad
and four inches thick The whole mass
is tough, and capable of being consider
ably extended One could whisper in
in the ear of one of them without the
other hearing, while volatile salts appli-
ed to the nostrils of one had TO effect
on the other; and while pinching the
arm of one excited no sensation In the
other, still if you but stick a pin in the
exact vertical center of this connecting
link both would finch from the hurt.
The twins were seldom observed to
converse with each other. Theyplayed
good game of draughts, made pretty
much the same moves, and at the same
time, and frequently played against
each other.
After attracting vast amount OF at
tention among scientists and physiolo.
gists in the old world, they married
two sisters and settled down near Sails
bury, n. G., on a well stocked planta-
ton. In addition they had at oneperiod
ample funds invested through their
agent in New York. During the war
they continued to reside on their planta-
ton and lived in the same quiet and
harmony as ever, until some few years
afterwards. Of course, no one ever
thought of drafting them and their ne
groes prospered, except when out OF
temper from any cause it was apt to
work itself off in striking the first one
that came to hand, from which the best
escape was 10 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 were the cause OF this es-
arrangement. Up to the period that
each had FIVE children all prospered
we'll enough, but one Of them had
sixth, and this awoke envy and jealousy
to such a degree that the twin sisters,
not being bound together like the twin
brothers, would no longer live under
the same roof. The brothers were, 1t
seems, were about fifty four years Of
age, but one, we believe, the smaller
and feebler of the two. looked, it is
said, ten years older than the other.
They could turn either back to back or
face to face, but that is as far as the re-
markable bond that united them permit
ted. 1t is almost certain that should
either die the other could not survive,
even more than a few minutes, as there
is an artery as large as the femoral ar
tery that connects them. a few years
since they corresponded with some OF
the leading surgical operators in Lon
don as to the possibility of the umblll-
Gus being cut, so that in case OF the
death of one the life of the other might
be saved. At the request of the London
surgeon they visited that city, and many
experiments were tried to determine
the safety of such an operation. Among
other things ligature was tied firmly
for few minutes around the connection
between them so as to prevent the cir
culation of blood through the artery.
But it seemed that each would expire If
this were persisted in. The smaller OF
the two tainted away and lost all con-
sciousness, and there were symptoms
that the same effect would follow to the
other, but the process could not be con-
tinued long enough without endanger-
ing the life of him who was the first to
faint. Since the breaking out of the late
war the twins both dressed in the Con
federate gray. and were both members
of the same church, having united with
small Baptist church in their neigh.
borhood, of which they were considered
very worthy members, though born Sia-
mese.