The Washington times., 1922-04-16

TSOR forty years the scientific world
has awaited patiently su, expect.
antly for the. death Of one OF the
famous "siamese Twins" Rosa and Josefa
Black.
These two remarkable women died the
other day in Chicago, and sentimental con-
siderations interyened to rob scientists of
their long-lookedfor opportunity to per
form an experiment which would have
been studied by scientists all over the
civilized world.
Nowhere in the world were there two
human beings inseparably joined together
like these two interesting women. From
one common spine nature had chosen to
grow two human beings. Wherever they
travelled throughout the Old and the New
worlds they we're eagerly studied by scien-
lists. and we're again and again the sub.
iect of lectures before medical societies
and medical schools.
The problem which presented itself to
the scientists was whether Y would be
possible to cut apart natures bony shackle
and save the life Of one OF the twins II the
other one should die or be threatened with
a fatal ailment
''one terrible thought forever haunts me
1.-The day my sister Rosa dies, that day
must die Also" said Miss Josefa Black in
an article printed some months ago on this
page.
But the medical men and the surgeons
in America and abroad reassured the twins
and begged for an opportunity to test their
skill. in the. hope that at the moment Of
death the life OF one might be saved For
forty years all over the world wherever
these women travelled, they had always
been under observation, and the best sul-
geons OF Germany, Russia, England,
France and America stood ready at mo-
ment's call to perform the operation so
eagerly anticipated.
For several months the women appeared
on the stage In New York. and New York
surgeons kept in touch with them. sey-
eral weeks ago the twins went to Chicago
and Immediately the surgeons of Chicago
made examinations and stood In readiness
In case serious illness threatened either OF
the twins. DIR. Benjamin Breakstone and
his staff of consulting surgeons made a
careful examination Of the twins, and when
Miss Josefa was stricken with jaundice
recently preparations were made for the
operation In case the woman died.
The patient developed complications and
died.
But in spite OF every suggestion on the
part of the doctors the sister Rosa re-
fused to have the operation performed, and
m lAxaA1 20 fuf Nho Os04R
declaring that he preferred to have his
mothers wishes respected, even at the
cost OF her life. Thus the sentimentality
of one OF the twins and the blind obedi-
ence of her own son cheated the doctors
out OF an operation which had been looked
forward to by the whole medical world for
nearly half a century. Fifteen minutes
after Josefa died her sister Rosa died also,
and science was robbed OF the opportunity
of demonstrating whether II could sever
the shackles OF nature and save the life
OF the woman who otherwise was doomed.
DIR. Breakstones plan was similar to the
plans OF the German and English and New
York surgeons An incision In the flesh
was to be made at the point where the
twins were Joined together. The bony
growth was then to be sawed through and
the wound sewed up. II was agreed by
the surgeons that no vital organ and no
fmpOft6Hk artery WOulu DS AutoTleISu VIII
and that there was every prospect OF saw
ing the life OF the separated twin.
But sister Rosa had lived In such init.
mate association with sister Jose. as she
was called, from the moment of their birth,
that the thought OF existing without her
companion was unbearable. Rosa pre-
ferred to go into the grave with Josefa
rather than endure the intolerable loneit
ness OF separate existence, even though
Il meant the making an orphan OF her own
son.
Discussing their case recently, sister
Rosa said:
I'VE are vitality tied together as the
famous sismese twins were. Chang caught
pneumonia, but Eng was not affected But
when Chang grew worse and died then
Eng died, too--but not of pneumonia. Their
blood circulation was connected because
their arteries we're Joined together. The
lifeless blood OF Chang crept into the
arteries OF Eng and poisoned bis blood
and brought his heart TO standstili.
I'VE are even more hopelessly linked
together than Chang and Eng Would you
like TO read what the German scientists
reported after a long examination OF us?