The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-15

born infants formed part Of the eugenc
exhibit at the Franco British exhibition
five years ago.
An English doctor, Gartshorne, in 17S7
speaks of case that had come under
his own notice, of woman of the pau
per class who had five children at one
birth. all girls, who died soon after, with
in few hours. The weight of the infants
varied from TO 9 pounds.
In the year 1852 DR. Dawson of Rothes
in Scotland, published case in the med
ical journals for which he vouched per-
sonally. A woman called Elspeth Cor
don, whom he attended had three girls
and two boy infants at one birth The
three girls died Immediately. and the
male infants next morning.
The Maine newspapers recorded a case
in lS47 where seXtuplets were born, only
two of which were fully developed. These
two infants and also the mother, sur
vived and throve.
In comparatively recent times still
more remarkable example of multiple
birth attracted widespread attention, not
only in America, but in scientific circles
all over the world. This was the case of
Mrs Timothy Bradlee, of Trumbull coun-
ty, Ohio. who was reported by credible
witnesses to have had no less than eight
children at one time. The children were
excessively small. and noLl survived
-hi - l3i tlbltt was HeTSblI one OIL tflDletS
Her father and mother were children of
twin birth, and one of her grandmothers
was the mother of twins five times
The tendency of multiple births to occur
over and over again in the same family
has long been noted, The inquiry into
the death of Hester Carter who was
murdered at Lafayette, Ind in December
1888. revealed the fact that the aged vic
tim had been the mother of % children
including nairS nf tyx-i,, hai s.;-
Francis Gaton calculated the chance of
twins occurring in families with a multi
pie record as two and a half times its
likelihood in families where such a his
tory did not exist. Galton also exploded
the opinion long held as scientific
fact, that the tendency ran more strong
ly in the female than in the male line
Father of "
case that almost defies belief was in
vestigated not only by the ST Petersburg
scientists, but by the French academy in
1872, and declared to be we'll founded.
Feodof Nasseliet, a peasant in the Mos
COW Sovernorship, at 81 years of age
claimed to be the father of 72 surviving
children. His first wife, he said bore him
60 children, all ''multiples' twins is
times triplets seven times and duadrup-
lets four times. BY his second wife he
claimed to have had is children. of whom
several were twins
Compared with these marvels of nature,
the accounts of which almost seem to
bear the impress of Marco Polo or Mum
chausen, triplets are comparatively COM
mon. Since the year 1Si9, rs have been
registered in Boston. Their occurrence
has noticeably increased with the change
in the character of the city's population.
Only u instances. occurring at intervals
of four and five years. are registered in
the first 20 years. from 1S49 to 1869. After
that year two and even three a year are
common. and only the years 1870 1872
and 1907 having passed without an entry
of the sort being made.
Tfiplets survive quite as often as not
and frequently live to a great age. On
April q, 1904, by the death of Mrs. Mar
tina Hager of Somerville, at the age of So
the ranks of the oldest living trplets in
the United States sustained its first
breach. Mrs. Hager was one of remark
able family of 1S children, in which, in
addition to tripets, there were two sets
of twins. She and her two sisters. Mrs
Sarah Fossett and Mrs. Mary Fossett,
were the daughters of Isaac and Sarah
Townsend of North Union, Me, good old
New England stock, of which the mother
traced back her descent to Sir William
Parsons, Queen Elizabeth s surveyor gem
eral of Ireland. All of the family lived
to advanced age.
OldeSt surviving IrlpletS
A controversy, started from Chicago
regarding the age of the Oldest living trip
let's in America, unearthed a good many
instances of longevity in companions of
the over-brimming cradle. A striking in
stance were the Gibbs triplets, who sue
ceeded to the premier place at Mrs. Ha-
gers death. The three brothers were
born in Wilkesboro, N. c., on May 2,
1888. volunteered on the Confederate side
.T.- To- . .
company of the same regiment in many
battles. All the Gibbs brothers We're mar
ried men, with large families. At cele-
bration of the seventy seventh birthday
of these fine old soldiers. an ancient ne
gress was discovered who had nursed all
three.
In vigorous health when their SEVENTEEN
birthday was observed in September, 1891
were the Grant triplets of Torrington,
Conn. They were born in an old two
story farmhouse in the center of the town
and We're not only strong and healthy at
birth, but passed their lives without Sc
rious illness of any sort They were also
remarkable for the fact that no great
facial resemblance existed between them
Death claimed all the brothers within the
next five years.
A well known New England family of
triplets, although not of such an advanced
age, was the Chase family of Newbury-
port, first separated by death two weeks
ago, who celebrated their fifty-first birth
day last July. The late Thurston s.
Chase, Mrs. Benjamin w. Ardway and
Miss Alice Marsh Chase We're three of the
nine children born to the late Mr.. and
Mrs Moses L. Chase. The family is of
special interest as controverting the old
superstitution that triplets in which the
two sexes are represented never live to
maturity.
Twins Are Common
Twins are matters of daily occurrence
in every large center of population, and
escape notice unless their birth is at
tended by some remarkable feature. Reg
listers kept since 1S49 record 6546 twin
births in Boston, and the figures are
significant in showing the effect on vital
statistics of the large influx of aliens
since the close of the civil war into the
element of population. Thus, in the 20
years from 1S49 to 1862 the average of
AZ twin births year showed no percep-
tibe rise, varying from IS, it's maximum
figure in 1851, to 81, its lowest, as late
as 1864. In the year following this double
decade, 1868, a sudden sharp rise of 10 twin
births takes place. below which figure
the returns never fall again, increasing
progressively to % in 1897, liz in 1898, 16i
in 1899 and 265 the maximum figure. in
1908. The statistics give no information
as to the influence of nationality on
plural births, but the highest figures
in rd