The age-herald., 1902-02-18
SEPARATION OF HINpoo TWINS

From the Philadelphia North American.
 Philadelphia surgeons are deeply inter- ested in the operation performed in Paris last Sunday upon the Hindoo twins, Radica and Dordna. The sisters. who were united in a maner similar to the famous Siamese twins, were separated with a knife by Dr. Doyon, noted French surgeon.
 It was in Philadelphia that science first began the study of such freaks of nature. This was at the autopsy performed by the leading physicians and surgeons of the time upon the Siamese twins
 At the College of Physicians. Thirteenth and Locust streets, where the autopsy was performed, plaster casts of the twins in various positions are among the most treasured exhibits, along with a curious double chair in which they used to sit.
 The Slamese twins, Eng and Chang, were born in Siam in May, 1911. They were exhibited all over the world. Eng drank heavily, and Chang. although he never touched intoxicating liquors. be- came intoxicated whenever his brother imbibed too freely.
 Both were married. Their families lived in separate houses. Eng would spend three days with Chang and then Chang would go to the domicile of Eng for similar period. Each reared large fam fly of children.
 In January, 1874, while going from Changs house to his own, Eng contract ed pneumonia and died. His brother sur vived him only half an hour.
 A com mittee from the College of Phy- sicians in this city, consisting of Drs. Jo- seph Pancoast, Harrison Allen and T. H. Andrews, went to their home in North Carolina to request the privilege of per forming an autopsy.
 This was accorded, under certain re- strictions, and the body was brought to the College of Physicians in February, 1874. There in the presence of many fa- nous physicians and surgeons, the au- topsy was performed.
 The report was written by Dr. Allen, assisted by Dr. Andrews and Dr. J. Will liam White It was carefully edited and revised by representatives of their fam- ueS DSIOIt
 Opinion at that time was divided upon the question of whether they could have been successfully separated Leading sur geons believed the operation would be fatal and for that reason none was per formed.
 Dr. La Barree J. Leamy, instructor of obstetrics in the Medico- Chirurgical Col lege and assistant gynecologist at the Samaritan Hospital, conducted a thor ough examination of Laloo in this city several days ago to determine whether an operation to separate Laloo from his twin sister, Lala, was feasible.
 Laloo would not submit to an operation unless he was assured by Dr. Leamy that physician refused to give.
 Dr. Leamy, who has made a careful study of such cases. yesterday gave ser eral instances of attempts made to sep arate twins abnormally joined.
 Two sisters, born in Italy in 100, were killed at the age of four months by the attempt of a surgeon to separate them. The Swiss sisters. Marie and Adele, were operated upon when in a feeble condition Adele died in six hours, and Marie sue cumbed to peritonites the next day
 A similar case was reported in Germany in 1866. The operation in this case was performed without accident, One of the children, already i'll, died on the third day The other survived