The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1874-02-05

wives, though sisters, turned away tnell
hearts. and children we're the cause Of thi:
estrangement. Up to the period that each
had FIVE children all prospered well enough
but one of them had sixth, and this
awoke envy and jealousy to such degree
that the twin sisters, not being bound to
gether like the twin brothers, would nc
longer live under the same roof. The
brothers were, it seems, about ttty-toul
years of age, but one we believe the small
er and feebler of the two, looked, it Is said
ten years older than the other They
could turn either back to back or face t!
face, but that is about as far as the re-
markable bond that united them permit
tee. Of course, the subject oGsseparating
them by
CUTTING THE LIGATURE
of flesh which bound them together was
often discussed, and the most eminent sur
geons of the world, have differed as to the
result of such an experiment. Nelaton,
we believe. maintained that it could be
done but equally noted British surgeons,
after trying preliminary experiments, such
as binding the ligaturc so as to prevent
the circulation of the blood, concluded
that there would be too much danger in the
attempt. 1t was generally conceded, how
ever, that the natural death Of one of the
brothers would not necessarily be followed
by the death of the other, and that by
promptly cutting the ligature the survivor
could be saved. Had the death Of Chang
occurred in some large city, surgeons
would have been found to cut away Eng
from "the body of this DEATH" and per-
haps have saved his life but in distant
rural locality, where the necessary profess
sional aid could not be had in time, no
one was bold enough to make the dread
full experiment; and after two hours OF
alarm and terror, at position than (which
few things can be imagined more horrible
Eng followed Chang to the other world.
During this brief interim he is said to have
exhibited the greatest dismay, and after a
sort of delirium offright was overcome by
deadly stupor from which he never raj
lied. The mere fact that two hours elapsed
between the deaths of these two pheno-
menal brothers proves that they were
SEPARATE ENTITIES.
Indeed, there is no doubt that they
thought differently, and experienced but
few Simultaneous sensations. Only when
the ligature that bound them was pinched
or pricked did they manifest simultaneous
suffering. Their characters were alsc
notably different. The two brothers were
Baptists and members Of church in Sur.
rev County. North Carolina. 1t is to be
hoped that their pastor, or some other III
telligcnt friend, will give to the public
some detailed account of their later years
and particularly OF their last moments
The problem Of the ligature may now be
settled if post mortem examination Ii
permitted. Science is pardonable tol
sharing to this matter the curiosity OF the
world at large and in such an unpre'
cedented case even common curiosity Is
excusablc.
a PARALLEL CASE.
Among phenomena of anatomy the
most celebrated parallel in modern times
TO Chang and Eng was presented by the
Hungarian sisters, Helen and Judith,
though they were joined back to back BY
the thighs and loins. They were born In
17O1, and lived to their twenty'seeond
year. 1t is said they had neither the
same temperament or character, but were
very fond of each other, and performed
some physiological acts in common and
others separately, and were sick and died
together Such monstroslties were former
ly regarded as proofs Of the anger OF God
or as the work Of demons, and, as such
by the old Greek and Roman laws were
at once put to death Even as late as the
seventeenth century they were either
destroyed or shut up from human sight
So that Chang and Eng, after all, had
more comfortable fate than they NIGH
have had in an earlier period of The
worlds history.
Political Scandals.