anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第42部分

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d　the　umbilical　vessels；　surrounded　by　areolar　tissue　and　covered　with　skin。　Le　Beau　says　that　under　the　Roman　reign；　A。　D。　945；　two　male　children　were　brought　from　Armenia　to　Constantinople　for　exhibition。　They　were　well　formed　in　every　respect　and　united　by　their　abdomens。　After　they　had　been　for　some　time　an　object　of　great　curiosity；　they　were　removed　by　governmental　order；　being　considered　a　presage　of　evil。　They　returned；　however；　at　the　commencement　of　the　reign　of　Constantine　VII；　when　one　of　them　took　sick　and　died。　The　surgeons　undertook　to　preserve　the　other　by　separating　him　from　the　corpse　of　his　brother；　but　he　died　on　the　third　day　after　the　operation。

In　1866　Boehm　gives　an　account　of　Guzenhausen's　case　of　twins　who　were　united　sternum　to　sternum。　An　operation　for　separation　was　performed　without　accident；　but　one　of　the　children；　already　very　feeble；　died　three　days　after；　the　other　survived。　The　last　attempt　at　an　operation　like　this　was　in　1881；　when　Biaudet　and　Buginon　attempted　to　separate　conjoined　sisters　（Marie…Adele）　born　in　Switzerland　on　June　26th。　Unhappily；　they　were　very　feeble　and　life　was　despaired　of　when　the　operation　was　performed；　on　October　29th。　Adele　died　six　hours　afterward；　and　Marie　died　of　peritonitis　on　the　next　day。

CLASS　III。Those　monsters　joined　by　a　fusion　of　some　of　the　cranial　bones　are　sometimes　called　craniopagi。　A　very　ancient　observation　of　this　kind　is　cited　by　Geoffroy…Saint…Hilaire。　These　two　girls　were　born　in　1495；　and　lived　to　be　ten　years　old。　They　were　normal　in　every　respect；　except　that　they　were　joined　at　the　forehead；　causing　them　to　stand　face　to　face　and　belly　to　belly。　When　one　walked　forward；　the　other　was　compelled　to　walk　backward；　their　noses　almost　touched；　and　their　eyes　were　directed　laterally。　At　the　death　of　one　an　attempt　to　separate　the　other　from　the　cadaver　was　made；　but　it　was　unsuccessful；　the　second　soon　dying；　the　operation　necessitated　opening　the　cranium　and　parting　the　meninges。　Bateman　said　that　in　1501　there　was　living　an　instance　of　double　female　twins；　joined　at　the　forehead。　This　case　was　said　to　have　been　caused　in　the　following　manner：　Two　women；　one　of　whom　was　pregnant　with　the　twins　at　the　time；　were　engaged　in　an　earnest　conversation；　when　a　third；　coming　up　behind　them；　knocked　their　heads　together　with　a　sharp　blow。　Bateman　describes　the　death　of　one　of　the　twins　and　its　excision　from　the　other；　who　died　subsequently；　evidently　of　septic　infection。　There　is　a　possibility　that　this　is　merely　a　duplication　of　the　account　of　the　preceding　case　with　a　slight　anachronism　as　to　the　time　of　death。

At　a　foundling　hospital　in　St。　Petersburg　there　were　born　two　living　girls；　in　good　health；　joined　by　the　heads。　They　were　so　united　that　the　nose　of　one；　if　prolonged；　would　strike　the　ear　of　the　other；　they　had　perfectly　independent　existences；　but　their　vascular　systems　had　evident　connection。

Through　extra　mobility　of　their　necks　they　could　really　lie　in　a　straight　line；　one　sleeping　on　the　side　and　the　other　on　the　back。　There　is　a　report　a　of　two　girls　joined　at　their　vertices；　who　survived　their　birth。　With　the　exception　of　this　junction　they　were　well　formed　and　independent　in　existence。　There　was　no　communication　of　the　cranial　cavities；　but　simply　fusion　of　the　cranial　bones　covered　by　superficial　fascia　and　skin。　Daubenton　has　seen　a　case　of　union　at　the　occiput；　but　further　details　are　not　quoted。

CLASS　IV。The　next　class　to　be　considered　is　that　in　which　the　individuals　are　separate　and　well　formed；　except　that　the　point　of　fusion　is　a　common　part；　eliminating　their　individual　components　in　this　location。　The　pygopagous　twins　belong　in　this　section。　According　to　Bateman；　twins　were　born　in　1493　at　Rome　joined　back　to　back；　and　survived　their　birth。　The　same　authority　speaks　of　a　female　child　who　was　born　with　〃2　bellies；　4　arms；　4　legs；　2　heads；　and　2　sets　of　privates；　and　was　exhibited　throughout　Italy　for　gain's　sake。〃　The　〃Biddenden　Maids〃　were　born　in　Biddenden；　Kent；　in　1100。　Their　names　were　Mary　and　Eliza　Chulkhurst；　and　their　parents　were　fairly　well…to…do　people。　They　were　supposed　to　have　been　united　at　the　hips　and　the　shoulders；　and　lived　until　1134。　At　the　death　of　one　it　was　proposed　to　separate　them；　but　the　remaining　sister　refused；　saying；　〃As　we　came　together；　we　will　also　go　together；〃　and；　after　about　six　hours　of　this　Mezentian　existence；　they　died。　They　bequeathed　to　the　church…wardens　of　the　parish　and　their　successors　land　to　the　extent　of　20　acres；　at　the　present　time　bringing　a　rental　of　about　155。00　annually；　with　the　instructions　that　the　money　was　to　be　spent　in　the　distribution　of　cakes　（bearing　the　impression　of　their　images；　to　be　given　away　on　each　Easter　Sunday　to　all　strangers　in　Biddenden）　and　also　270　quartern　loaves；　with　cheese　in　proportion；　to　all　the　poor　in　said　parish。　Ballantyne　has　accompanied　his　description　of　these　sisters　by　illustrations；　one　of　which　shows　the　cake。　Heaton　gives　a　very　good　description　of　these　maids；　and　a　writer　in　〃Notes　and　Queries〃　of　March　27；　1875；　gives　the　following　information　relative　to　the　bequest：

〃On　Easter　Monday；　at　Biddenden；　near　Staplehurst；　Kent；　there　is　a　distribution；　according　to　ancient　custom；　of　'Biddenden　Maids'　cakes；'　with　bread　and　cheese；　the　cost　of　which　is　defrayed　from　the　proceeds　of　some　20　acres　of　land；　now　yielding　L35　per　annum。　and　known　as　the　'Bread　and　Cheese　Lands。'　About　the　year　1100　there　lived　Eliza　and　Mary　Chulkhurst；　who　were　joined　together　after　the　manner　of　the　Siamese　twins；　and　who　lived　for　thirty…four　years；　one　dying；　and　then　being　followed　by　her　sister　within　six　hours。　They　left　by　their　will　the　lands　above　alluded　to　and　their　memory　is　perpetuated　by　imprinting　on　the　cakes　their　effigies　'in　their　habit　as　they　lived。'　The　cakes；　which　are　simple　flour　and　water；　are　four　inches　long　by　two　inches　wide；　and　are　much　sought　after　as　curiosities。　These；　which　are　given　away；　are　distributed　at　the　discretion　of　the　church…wardens；　and　are　nearly　300　in　number。　The　bread　and　cheese　amounts　to　540　quartern　loaves　and　470　pounds　of　cheese。　The　distribution　is　made　on　land　belonging　to　the　charity；　known　as　the　Old　Poorhouse。　Formerly　it　used　to　take　place　in　the　Church；　immediately　after　the　service　in　the　afternoon；　but　in　consequence　of　the　unseemly　disturbance　which　used　to　ensue　the　practice　was　discontinued。　The　Church　used　to　be　filled　with　a　congregation　whose　conduct　was　occasionally　so　reprehensible　that　sometimes　the　church…wardens　had　to　use　their　wands　for　other　purposes　than　symbols　of　office。　The　impressions　of　the　maids　'on　the　cakes　are　of　a　primitive　character；　and　are　made　by　boxwood　dies　cut　in　1814。　They　bear　the　date　1100；　when　Eliza　and　Mary　Chulkhurst　are　supposed　to　have　been　born；　and　also　their　age　at　death；　thirty…four　years。〃

Ballantyne　has　summed　up　about　all　there　is　to　be　said　on　this　national　monstrosity；　and　his　discussion　of　the　case　from　its　historic　as　well　as　teratologic　standpoint　is　so　excellent　that　his　conclusions　will　be　quoted

〃It　may　be　urged　that　the　date　fixed　for　the　birth　of　the　Biddenden　Maids　is　so　remote　as　to　throw　grave　doubt　upon　the　reality　of　the　occurrence。　The　year　1100　was；　it　will　be　remembered；　that　in　which　William　Rufus　was　found　dead　in　the　New　Forest；　'with　the　arrow　either　of　a　hunter　or　an　assassin　in　his　breast。'　According　to　the　Anglo…Saxon　Chronicle；　several　'prodigies'　preceded　the　death　of　this　profligate　and　extravagant　monarch。　Thus　it　is　recorded　that　'at　Pentecost　blood　was　observed　gushing　from　the　earth　at　a　certain　town　of　Berkshire；　even　as　many　asserted　who　declared　that　they　had　seen　it。　And　after　this；　on　the　morning　after　Lammas　Day；　King　William　was　shot。'　Now；　it　is　just　possible　that　the　birth　of　the　Biddenden　Maids　may　have　occurred　later；　but　have　been　antedated　by　the　popular　tradition　to　the　year　above　mentioned。　For　such　a　birth　would；　in　the　opinion　of　the　times；　be　regarded　undoubtedly　as　a　most　evident　prodigy　or　omen　of　evil。　Still；　even　admitting　that　the　date　1100　must　be　allowed　to　stand；　its　remoteness　from　the　present　time　is　not　a　convincing　argument　against　a　belief　in　the　real　occurrence　of　the　phenomenon；　for　of　the　dicephalic　Scottish　brothers；　who　lived　in　1490；　we　have　credible　historic　evidence。　Further；　Lycosthenes；　in　his　〃Chronicon　Prodigiorum　atque　Ostentorum〃；　published　in　1557；　states；　upon　what　authority　I　know　not；　that　in　the　year　1112　joined　twins　resembling　the　Biddenden　phenomenon　in　all　points　save　in　sex　were　born　in　England。　The　passage　is　as　follows：　'In　Anglia　natus　est　puer　geminus　a　clune　ad　superiores　partes　ita　divisus；　ut　duo　haberet　capita；　duo　corpora　integra　ad　renes　cum　suis　brachiis；　qui　baptizatus　triduo　supervixit。'　It　is　just　possible　that　in　some　way　or　other　this　case　has　been　confounded　with　the　story　of　Biddenden；　at　any　rate；　the　occurrence　of　such　a　statement　in　Lycosthenes'　work　is　of　more　than　passing　interest。　Had　there　been　no　bequest　of　land　in　connection　with　the　case　of　the　Kentish　Maids；　the　whole　affair　would　probably　soon　have　been　forgotten。

〃There　is；　however；　one　real　difficulty　in　accepting　the　story　handed　down　to　us　as　authentic；the　nature　of　the　teratologic　phenomenon　itself。　All　the　records　agree　in　stating　that　the　Maids　were　joined　together　at　the　shoulders　and　hips；　and　the　impression　on　the　cakes　and　the　pictures　on　the　'broadsides'　show　this　peculiar　mode　of　union；　and　represent　the　bodies　as　quite　separate　in　the　space　between　the　above…named　points。　The　Maids　are　shown　with　four　feet　and　two　arms；　the　right　and　left　respectively；　whilst　the　other　arms　（left　and　right）　are　fused　together　at　the　shoulder　according　to　one　illustration；　and　a　little　above　the　elbow　according　to　another。　Now；　although　it　is　not　safe　to　say　that　such　an　anomaly　is　impossible；　I　do　not　know　of　any　case　of　this　peculiar　mode　of　union；　but　it　may　be　that；　as　Prof。　A。　R。　Simpson　has　suggested；　the　Maids　had　four　separate　arms；　and　were　in　the　habit　of　going　about　with　their　contiguous　arms　round　each　other's　necks；　and　that　this　gave　rise　to　the　notion　that　these　limbs　were　united。　If　this　be　so；　then　the　teratologic　difficulty　is　removed；　for