MYSTERY OF TWINS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 80, 28 December 1929, Page 27

MYSTERY OF TWINS

RESEARCH BY SCIENTISTS

Identical twins have long been the subject of fascinating and unusual research by scientists. Recently experts on mental traits and physical similarities have made astonishing discoveries of “mind-reading” exploits on the part of these twins says a writer in "Tit Bits.”

Several cases have been revealed in Europe and America, where one twin was able to tell what his identical partner in life was doing at a certain time, and was able to reproduce, almost word for word, answers made by the other twin to questions.

These phenomena, scientists hasten to add, are in no way connected with the supernatural or with mind-reading as it is ordinarily understood. The mind-testing stunts merely proved that identical twins who have been reared together are so alike mentally, physically, and emotionally that they use the same phraseology in answering questions, and that each has an amazing insight into the other’s reactions. Identical twins are produced by the dividing of a single life cell, and are invariably of, the same sex. Ordinary, or “fraternal” twins are simply a biological coincidence; a pair of children born about the same time, but the product of two life cells; They may be of the same or opposite sexes, and frequently they bear no resemblance to each other than any other brother and sister. ■ 1 The curious case of John and Wilbur Stite offered a vivid example of the form of understanding existing between identical twins. They had been reared together, lived in the same house for thirty years, and, oddly enough, married twin sisters. The similarity between the boys was so remarkable that they attracted attention. Many experiments, always terminating with the same startling results, were made to test their mental processes. Questions embracing ' a variety of subjects were asked the boys separately. Each brother, ignorant of the other’s answer, would often give about the same reply, worded similarly. This continued over a period of years, showing that the development corresponded identically.

John and Wilbur were a constant source of interest to their friends. New acquaintances were astonished to hear the boys burst into laughter at the same moment, and see them simultaneously employ the same facial expressions and gestures. This naturally produced an amusing but nevertheless ■ confusing, situation. Only their wives were said to be able to tell them apart. The crucial test of the strange sympathy existing between the twins came at the age of 52, when John was taken

ill and removed to a hospital. Wilbur remained with him constantly and was even reported to have complained of symptoms of John’s malady. One evening there appeared to be no immediate danger of John’s condition, and Wilbur left the hospital to go home. Upon reaching the house a few minutes later, Wilbur flung up his hands and cried, “John is dead!” It was proved afterwards that John died at that time.

A similar relationship between another pair of identical twins was indicated in tests made with two beautiful twin Arabian girls, Linda and Maria Loredo. Superstitious-minded folk of their own race came to believe the pair were endowed with some strange power which enabled them to read each other’s thoughts. Scientists are said to have subjected the girls to tests similar to those used on the Stites pair, drawing the conclusion that the Arab girls were a “perfectly matched” pair.

This, it was thought, explained why Linda and Maria were so attuned that often one seemed to know the mind of the other twin. In other words, Linda knew how she herself would react in a given situation and how she would answer certain questions, so she was often able to describe Maria’s actions and reproduce her words, because Maria was her counterpart. f This psychological affinity was found to exist to a remarkable degree among the Gale twins, who demonstrated their “oneness” in a slightly different way. Genaelogists studied these girls with particular interest, for here, in one family, two sets of identical twins, both girls, were born to a Mr. and Mrs. Gilmartin. ,

As the four girls matured it was found they shared one idea of a career. Georgia and Gloria wanted to dance and go on the stage. So did the other pair, Doris and Dorothy. All four agreed to change their name to Gale for professional purposes. Dancing instructors were astonished at their rapid progress, later declaring they had never trained any group that worked together with such harmony and ease. The teachers noticed a curious situation which the girls seemed to accept as perfectly natural. If Georgia arrived late for rehearsal she would, without hesitation, go into the steps taught Gloria during her absence. The same was found to be true of Dorothy and Doris. The girls actually seemed to know the work that had been taught theih twin sisters during their absence. The instructors observed this unusual sympathy existing between each pair, but, even among the ' two sets of twins a remarkable understanding was noticeable.