The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-04-05
SIAMESE TWINS DIE
AFTER BRIEF ILLNESS
Sisters Joined Through Life
Answer Death Summons
Together.

chicago, Apr. l.-JOsefa and Rosa
Black, the "Siamese Twins" died at
hospital here early yesterday morn
ing. Josefa's death occurred first
and was followered in a few seconds
by the death of her sister. Physi-
clans had declared early in the night
that in the event OF the death of one
Of the sisters the other would die
quickly, as their brother, Frank
Black. had refused to permit an
operation which would sever their
bodies.
The twins had been in the hospital
ten days. Josefa was i'll with yellow
jaundice and that was followed by
pneumonia. Shortly before her
death Rosa was afflicted with bron-
chitis.
Ready to Operate
Preparations had been made for
the severing operation and the physi-
clans were ready to make every effort
to save the life Of at least one of the
women.
Hope of saving the life of Josefa
was abandoned at midnight, accord
ing to DR.. B. H. Breakstone, chief of
the surgical staff at the hospital.
81 tried to get the consent of the
brother to operate to save the life Of
Rosa but he refused to give his per-
mission" added the physician.
DR.. Breakstone explained that a
delicate operation would have been
necessary. Before their death he
had expressed the opinion that the
physiological affinity of the twins
was so vital that if one should die
the other might also succumb before
the band of flesh and bone that joins
them could be severed.
Shared Vital Organs
Although the twins possessed
separate respiratory and cardiac sys-
TENS, DR.. Breakstone explained that
they had only one set of secondary
digestive and provocative organs.
The operation, he said, would have
necessitated the building up of a
part of the digestive and other essen
tial organs to save the life of one
twin.
Rosa was once married, her name
being Rosa Black Dvorak. She is
survived by normal 11-year-old boy.
Her husband was captain in the
German army and was killed in ac-
tion in 1917. She was married Id
years ago. Josefa never married.
The little son, Franz, has been at
the bedside of his mother, who un-
til within The last few hours was not
SO i'll as Josefa.
The twins were the second offspring
of a normal parentage in Czecho-
Slovakia, AZ years ago. There were
four other children, all normal and
all still living.
Each twin was fully developed
and free from deformity save for
the narrow flesh strip that Joined
them at the hip.
They enjoyed theaters, dinner
parties and other amusements just
as normal people, But where one
went, the other had to go also.
When they differed in taste, they
settled the matter by the flip of a
coin.
Saw Many Doctors
y The two went to leading surgeons
on both continents but always were
advised against an operation to sep
arate them. Doctors told them such
an operation undoubtedly would re-
suit in the death of at least one.
Twins of this kind are called Siam
ese twins because of the famous
case of Eng and Chang, Chinese.
born in Siam with their bodies join
ed. They were born in 1911 and
died in 1874.
MANY Slamese twins have been
born but they seldom live to reach
maturity says one of the hospital
physicians treating Josefa.