The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-29
Sketch of the Siamese Twins.

The Siamcse Twins, Eng and Chang, lately
residing in North Carolina, were afflicted with
illness in the year 1871. They were born at a
small village on the 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 shellfish. 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 a prolongation of 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
considerably extended. One could whisper in
the ear of one of them without the other hear
ing; while volatile salts applied to the nostrlls
of one had no effect on the other; and while
pinching the arm OF one excited no sensation
in the other, still, if you but stick pin in the
exact vertical centre Of this connecting link
both would finch from the hurt. The Twins
were seldom observed to converse with each
other. They played 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 attention
among scientists and psychologists in the old
world, they married two sisters, and settled
plantation. In addition they had at one period
ample funds invested through their agent in
New York. During the war they continued to
reside on their plantation and lived in the same
quiet and harmony as ever, until some few
Years afterwards. Of course. no one ever
thought of drafting them ana their negroes
prospered, except when out of temper from
any cause. il was apt to work itself Off in
striking the first one that came to hand from
which the best escape was to keep o':! of the
way. The brothers probably never would have
had any difficulty, but that their wives, though
sisters, turned away their hearts, and children
we're the cause Of this estrangement. Up to
the period that each had five children all pros
nered well enough, but one of them had a
sixth. and this awoke envy and jealousy to
such degree that the twin sisters, not being
hound together like the twin brothers, would
no longer live under the same rool;
The brothers could turn back to back or face
to face but that is as far as the remarkable
bond that united them permitted. A few years
since they corresponded with some of the lead
inr surgical operators in London, as to the
possibility of the umbillcus 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 expe-
riments we're tried to determine tho safety of
such an oneration Among other things Iiga-
t11re was tied firmly few minutes around the
connection between them, SO as 10 prevent the
circulation of blood through the artery. But
it seemed as if each would expire If this were
persisted in, The smaller of the two tainted
away and lost all consciousness, and there
we're SYMPTOMS that the same effect would fol-
low to the other, but the process could not be
continued long enough without endanGering
the life of him who was the first to faint Since
the breaking out of the rebellion the twins
both dressed in the Confederate gray, and both
were members ofthe same church havingunited
with small Baptist Church in their neighbor-
hood of which they wore considered very
worthy members, though born Samese.