Figure 31 is a representation of the Siamese twins in old age. On
each side of them is a son. The original photograph is in the
Mutter Museum, College of Physicians, Philadelphia.
The feasibility of the operation of separating them was discussed
by many of the leading men of America, and Thompson, Fergusson,
Syme, Sir J. Y. Simpson, Nelaton, and many others in Europe, with
various reports and opinions after examination. These opinions
can be seen in full in nearly any large medical library. At this
time they had diseased and atheromatous arteries, and Chang, who
was quite intemperate, had marked spinal curvature, and shortly
afterward became hemiplegic. They were both partially blind in
their two anterior eyes, possibly from looking outward and
obliquely. The point of junction was about the sterno-siphoid
angle, a cartilaginous band extending from sternum to sternum. In
1869 Simpson measured this band and made the distance on the
superior aspect from sternum to sternum 4 1/2 inches, though it
is most likely that during the early period of exhibition it was
not over 3 inches. The illustration shows very well the position
of the joining band.
The twins died on January 17, 1874, and a committee of surgeons
from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, consisting of
Doctors Andrews, Allen, and Pancoast, went to North Carolina to
perform an autopsy on the body, and, if possible, to secure it.
Pages:
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343