Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

From the Lexington Public Advertiser

EXTRAORDINARY LUSUS NATURAE.

We do not recollect to have seen any notice taken by our newspapers of an extraordinary birth in Woodford county, in September last.

"Every considerable deviation from that beautiful and harmonious arrangement which is pursued by nature in the animal kingdom is denominated "a monster."

These productions, though not frequent, are remarkably diversified. To prove this position it is not only necessary to state that cases are recorded where children have been born either destitute of a head (when they survived but a few hours) possessing two heads, or where they were inseparably connected.

Of this latter description of monsters are two children now living in Woodford county. To the curious, a concise account of this prodigy may not be entirely uninteresting. Neither leisure nor ability will enable us to suggest ingenious or learned speculations relative to the principles which influence and control these anomalous formations.

Martha Ann and Mary Jane, were born September 22d, 1819: the former is smaller, and remained in a state of apparent death for three quarters of an hour, when she was revived by the vigorous circulation of her sister. These children are joined together at the back, below the loins: before, the junction is fleshy, behind bony—having their bodies and faces placed half side ways towards each other. From their connection upwards they are perfectly formed, and have lower extremities similar to other children, but only one extremity of each child will be employed in walking, viz. the external, as the other two are smaller, and the feet point rather backwards. One child cries whilst the other is asleep. They are sprightly and intelligent of their ages, and give every indication of living. They excite the commiseration of those who have visited them, among whom are several Physicians, who almost unanimously declare that any surgical operation, to separate them would prove immediately, or ultimately fatal.

A very analogous case to the preceding is contained in Ree's Cyclopædia—

The celebrated Hungarian sisters who were born in Szony in 1701 and exhibited in England and different parts of Europe, attained to the age of 22.—

Their connection strictly resembled that of Martha Ann and Mary Jane—their intellectual powers, and wills were different; they were agreeable and well bred, could read, write and sing very prettily, and could speak the Hungarian, French, German, and English languages. They were separately attacked with different diseases—Judith being often convulsed, while Helen remained free from indisposition, they however most fortunately died together.