An historical account of the Siamese twin brothers, from actual observations.

  • Hale, James W.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical account of the Siamese twin brothers, from actual observations. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    sympathy between the two bodies, but it is entirely over- powered by the operation of the mind. This was strongly proved at one time by Dr. Roget, secretary to the Royal Society, by means of a galvanic experiment. I am clearly of opinion that there is a degree of muscular power in the band, and that strength is sometimes communicated from one to the other. The flexibility of the cartilage is so great, that they can readily turn those shoulders towards each other, which are outward when walking ; indeed there probably would have been no difficulty in their walking either way, had they learned to do so when young. Their mother observed that she suffered no greater inconve- nience at their birth, than at those of former children, as they were very small, and the head of one was presented between the legs of the other. She has had a number of other children without any peculiarity, all of whom ex- cepting Chang and Eng, and a brother and sister, are dead. Their father died when they were eight years of age; about the same time they were severely affected with the small pox, and shortly afterwards, the measles; by both these disorders they were equally ill, recovered at the same moment, and by the same remedies. Since that time they have never suffered by any illness, excepting occasionally a slight cough. They have been several months at sea, but never were ill in consequence of it, so as to cause nausea ; on the contrary, they were always remarkably well on shipboard, would frequently go aloft, and many times have expressed a wish that they might at some future day command a ship of their own. Their parents were of the poorer class, and until the youths left their home, they were engaged in fishing, manufacturing cocoanut oil, keeping poultry, &c. for the support of their family. A visitor once asked them what was their occupation in their own country ; when they fa-