Evening star., 1952-12-21
Brodie Operation Shows Gains
In Correcting Natures Errors

when abnormalities are produced
in the developing young. Out of
this will come more preventive
methods to assure normal, healthy
infants.
AS yet there are no ways to
Siamese twinning.
The cause of Siamese twins long
was thought to be a collision
within the mothers womb of twin
very early in life. The
twins were thought to fuse, to re-
main joined by parts of their
bodies.
Now it's known that Siamese
twins come from one ovum or
egg Of the mother, which divides
at a very early stage. Normally,
these two tiny clusters of cells
would go on to become identical
twins.
But due to some delay or error,
the cluster of cells does not divide
completely. They remain in con-
tact, as the infants develop, and
the twins are born joined by the
back, abdomen, chest, or head.
Where and how they are joined
determines whether there is any
chance of separating them and
saving both infants. If the bridge
of tissue Is small, and no vital
organs are shared or affected, the
can be done with ex-
ceaent chances-as with the twin
girls. connected at the chest by
q thin band of tissue, born in
Cleveland a week ago.
Head Juncture Rare.
The most common type of Sia-
meSe twins Is known as the pygo-
pagus, joined back to back at the
lower end of the spine. Common
also are the omphalopagus, con-
nected through the abdominal
wall. A recent textbook on OBJ
stetrics cites only three authen-
tic cases in which twins of this
type were separated, with only
one of the twins being saved each
time. :.
A Kentucky mother seven years
ago disclosed that her son, then
IA, had been born a Siamese twin.
He was severed from his brother,
at 3 months age, when it became
apparent his twin was going to
die.
The juncture at the head is
rare, and until the Brodie opera
ton had always been impossible
of separation.
SiameSe twins may be born dead,
live only a short time, or live to
adulthood or even old age. They
always are of the same sex.
"OriginalS" Born in 1911.
Most famous probably were the
original "Siamese twins" Chang
and Eng, born in Siam in 1911.
Their father was a Chinese fish,
erman. their mother part Chinese,
part Siamese. Siamese people
called the twins the Chinese
Twins" The King of Siam is
reported to have favored putting
them to death, in belief they were
a bad luck omen.
Chang and Eng were joined at
the breastbone by a band of tissue.
with blood vessels connecting their
liverS. Severance was impossible.
But they could run. play, swim,
and live fairly normal lives.
Brought to Europe and the United
States, they became world-famous
and "Siamese Twins" became the
popular name for all such twins.
P. t. Barnum had hand in pro-
noting their fame.
Chang and Eng settled in North
Carolina, married sisters, and
reared large families. They had
separate homes, living in one for
a few days, then alternating to
the other.
They died in 1874, Chang sue
cumbing to a chest ailment and
Eng perishing soon afterward, be-
fore a doctor could cut them
apart.
Black Sisters Flu Victims.
Other famous twins were Rosa
and JoSefa Black, born in Prague
in 1878, fused at the pelvis. Rosa
married and had a child, Josefa
remained single. They died in
Chicago. victims of the flu epi-
demic after World War I.
Well-known, too, were the Hill
ton sisters, Joined at the back,
who won fame in vaudeville. They
made headlines in 1884 when
Violet was refused a marriage
license in New York, with reports
it was refused on grounds it would
n IL