Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1889 — A CREATMONSTROSITY. [ARTICLE]

A CREATMONSTROSITY.

■' Ok* by one the European nations are awaking to the necessity of checking the heavy flow of emigration to this country. A circular has now been issued to French prefects instructing them to use their influence to prevent skilled laborers from leaving the country. Europe has no olj s Hion to its paupers and criminals crossing the Atlantic; but wants to keep at home the only men to whom America can be ex pected to offer a hearty welcome. Col. John- L Scluva* will not stop in St. Louis on his way t*» the fight whicV will not occur between himseli api Col. Kilrain near New Orleans next month. We are therefore emboldened to eav that Col. Sullivan and Col. Kilrain missed the great opportunity of their lives, individually and collectively, when when they failed to be standing right under the Johnstown dam on a recent occasion. What they both need is about 30,0i1-,000 tons of water on their crat ±-

Tlie Birth or a Double Child Creates a Sensation at Kempton, Tipton County, T Ind. 'Tj'' ~ 7 ~ ~ A strange and wonderful human birth occurred last week near Kempton, Tipton county, Ind. The parents are Mr. and Mrs. Jones, young people, probably not over 28 and 24 years of age. A reporter who vißited the Jones house, says: The monstrosity, for such it is, and a wonderful one, too, consists of a single, continuous body, on each end of which is a well formed head. It is provided with four arms and foui legs, which are also well formed and about tbe normal size and shape. The arms are located at the proper place and on natural shoulders, one pair at each end of the long body, but the lower limbs protrude outward from each Bide at the middle of the elongated being. The two heads tace the same way, and the legs are so attached as to extend at right angles from the middle of the sides of the body. There is only one umbilicus, that being on the anterior surface aud middle of the body .showing that the entire form has been nourished through one and the same cord during the entire period of emoryoflic life. The sex of this curiously constructed being is female with one set of organs on eacn side, and tne general appearance of the entire body is that of two children so intimately joined together at their nelvs that the line of janction is almost invisible, yet Borne things about it exists wnich go ti prove that it has been thus joined from the time of conception, ana not the result of the growing together of two seperate ftrtuses. There is a duplicity in so far ae there are two heads, two pair of limbs, two sets of genital organs, and "tfilt the voluntary movements oi the two portions are not in c mlormity. On the other hand there was but one umbilical cord, aud the junc.ion of the two halves presents no line of original seperation, to prove that the being has been joined together from the start. One half of the creatnre may be sleeping while the other is awake, and at such times it is noticed that one leg on each side conforms to the other voluntary movements of the end of the body nearest to them, or in other words the two legs on the same side of the body are not controlled by one half. The entire length of the body from head to head is about two foot, and the weight of the creature is twelve pounds, figures which show ample size and weight for two healthy children. Up to the present writing the babe or babes, is or are enjoying good health, and the mother, a small sized woman, is doing very well. In case this wopdwful curiosity. holds on to life it is not known whether or not it will be placed on exhibition. Although the parents are poor in worldly goods they are not in the notion of any dime-museum arrangement, but should this offspring live it would undoubtedly bring them a fortune by being exhibited, snd at the some time give people generally an opportunity to see the greatest freak of nature ever born. The reporter found tbe house crowded with curiosity seekers, no lees than one hundred persons having visited the great center of attraction during tbe day. The babe or babes lay calmly and peacefully on tbe bed in a room adjoining the mother,and to all outward appearances were enjoying life as well as anybody. It is now pettled that the donhie child, or tbe Jones girls, as it is called, has just as good a chance to live apparently as any baby that ever wsb horn. Dr. J. C. Throne, says that it is “.he most won derful freak in the way of a living malformation that has ever been recorded.” The doctor says further: ‘‘The freak represents a twin biith, each child having entirely separate and independent organism, and each representing a marked deformity, besides the deformity that excites the wonder and pity of everyone that sees it—that of being inseparably joined together. The deformity consists of a deflection of the lower part of the spine and body, each toward the left, the deflection being sufficient to bring the line of the pelvis and lower extremities to a right angle wif h the boay, so that the legs belonging to each child respectively are the two to the left side as the body. That this condition is the true one is proven by the position of the outlets oi the alimentary*canal, the bladder, and generative organa These outlets are always through tne pelvis, and that they are at the sides of the body in proper re lation to the limbs is sufficient to prove that this is the line of the pelvis, and that the spice is not continuous from onejbead to the other. Observing the motions of one child, it was seen in a fit of restlessness to throw its arm and kick with Che feet only of one side, the other child being asleep at the time and perfectly quiet. The soles of the feet are directed outwsrd, or away from the body, as are also the flexures of the knee joint and the patella, or kne-i cap, is on the side of the knee towar J the body."