The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-12-09
auaessuaa gntelligeaeer.
ABOUT TWINS.
An Inquiry into the Cause and Extent OF
Similarity Between Them.

MIR. Francis Gallon has in the Novem-
Der number of Fraser very interesting
article entitled the History OF Twins,
as a Criterion of the Relative Powers OF
Nature and Nurture" The materials on
which the article we're based were OBJ
8 tanned by sending circulars containing
thirteen groups Of questions to twins or
persons intimately acquainted with twins.
MIR. Gallon distinguishes three classes,
those strongly alike, moderately alike
and extremely dissimilar, adding that
when the twins are of different sexes
they are never closely alike.
In eighteen reported cases OF close
similarity, thirty-fve entering very fully
into detail, there were few where not a
single point of difference could be speci-
fed, in the remainder the hair and eyes
we're almost always identical, and the
height, weight and strength generally
yery nearly so. The manner and address
are usually very similar; the intenation
when speaking commonly the same,
though it frequently happens that the
twins sing in different keys. Similarity
is yeryyrare in the handwriting.
Mr.. Galton cites many mistakes made
by near relatives. Notwithstanding the
tying of distinguishing ribbons to them
one is often fed, physicked or whipped
. BY mistake for the other. In one case "a
doubt remains whether the children were
not changed in their bath /; in another,
an artist engaged to paint the portraits
of twins, had to lay aside his work, and
when he resumed it could not say to
which child the respective hkenesses
belonged. In many instances tutors
could not distinguish between their pu-
pills. One twin sister would take two
music lessons sons the same day to give
the other holiday. Two twins were
fond of playing tricks, and complaints
: were frequently made; but the boys
J would never own which was the guilty
one, and the comPlainants were never %
certain which of the two he was: One
head master used to say he would never
fog the innocent for the, guilty, and
another used to fog both. One twin
brother visited another at college, and
the porter refused to let him out because
he did not know which was entitled to
depart. Other brothers would constantly
' change partners at balls without discove-
ry. Children are usually quick in dis
tinguishing between their parent and his
or her twin; but Mr.. Galton found two
cases to the contrary. He knows of four
or five instances of doubt during an en-
gagement of marriage. Thus: "A. mar
ried first, but both twins met the lady
together for the first time, and fell in
love with her there and then. A. man
aged to see her home and to gain her
affections, though B. went sometimes
courting in his place, and neither the
lady nor her parents could tell which
was which," One lady remarks that
: kissing her twin sister was like kissing q
part Of herself, as her hand, and not like
kissing another person. The author sug-
gests an experiment-tot try how far dogs
could distinguish between twins by scent.
Of strange mistakes between twins in
. middle life two cases are cited-one where
an officer returned from India after four
years absence was addressed by his father:
II thought you were in London" anoth--
er where an aged mother had neryously
expected the return of her son from India,
his ship being overdue, and when he en-
tered, said to him, mistaking him for the
brother who lived with her: "No, no;
it's bad joke; you know how anxious
am.m As curious feature Mr.. Galton
notes the apparent interchangeableness,
both of expression and character.
In seven of the thirty-five cases of close
similarity both twins suffered from some
special ailment or had some exceptional
peculiarity. Two sisters had the defect
of not being able to come down stairs
quickly, which was not born with them
but came on at the age Of twenty. An
other pair of twins have slight congo
NAL fexure of one of the joints of the
little finger it was inherited from a
grandmother, but neither parents, bro
thers nor sisters show the least trace of
it. In another case one was born rup-
tured, and the other became SO at SIX
months old. Two twins at the age OF
twenty-three were attacked by toothache,
and the same tooth had to be extracted
in each case.
There are curious and close colTespon-
dences mentioned in the falling off of
the hair. Two cases are mentioned OF
death from the same disease; In one a
brother died of Bright's disease, and the
survivor died of the same complaint
seven months afterwards. In nine out OF
the thirty-fve cases it appears that both
twins are apt to sicken at the same time:
There are also cited the recorded instan-
ces of pathological resemblance in twin
brothers afflicted with asthma and rheu-
matte opthalmia Trousseau's,, ~ Cinique
Medicale," quoted in Darwin's .Vsria-
ton under Domesication, and in two
insane brothers (Dr. Moreau's tPs1cholo-
gle Morbide.") In the latter case both
brothers considered themselves subject to
persecution by the same enemies who
adopted the same means, and even when
confined in separate asylums they would,
at irregular intervals of time, but usually
on the same day, rouse themselves from
their prostration, make the same com
plant of detention and desire liberation.
MIR. Gallon sent the facts in this case to
the prominent physicians to the insane
in ENGLAND, asking if they had ever
witnessed anything similar, and received
in reply three noteworthy instances,
though none as exact in their parallel
ism. Another curious French case of
insanity in twins is described by Baume
in the s'Annales Medico-P Psychologiques,"
4th series, vol. l, 1865, p. 3l2.
In eleven out of thirty-iye instances
similarity in the association of ideas is
noted. They make the same remarks on
the same occasion, begin singing the
same song at the same moment, and so
on; or one will commence sentence
and the other finish it. In one case one
twin, who happened to be at town in
Scotland, bought 6 set of champagne
glasses which caught his attention, as a
surprise for his brother, while at the same
time that brother, being in England,
bought similar set of precisely the
same pattern as surprise for him.
In sixteen of thirty-fve cases the tastes
and dispositions are described as closely
similar; in the remaining nineteen they