La-Loo the Hindoo Twin.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 844, 4 May 1888, Page 10

La-Loo the Hindoo Twin.

The occurrence of twins more or less completely united together is familiar to all breeders of live stock and to anatomists. It is perhaps more frequent in domestic varieties of birds than in other animals, for in them it not unfrequently happens that, from undue feeding, two ova or yolks, are included in the same egg, aud the resulting chipkens (one being usually from lack of room more or less imperfectly developed) are hatched united together ; hence the occurrence of monstrosities varying from two united chickens to single birds four-wingod, fourlegged, or two-headed. One which was living in my possession had, as the only remains of its twin fellow, a single foot growing in a symmetrical position out of the oentre of the tail.

In multiparous animals—those which have numerous offspring at one birth—these monstrosities are by no means unfrequent, and kittens with one body and two heads or with siz legs, are even common. In ttie human species, twins only occur about one time in eighty, consequently there is less chance of their production in a united state, but nevertheless such do occur. The Siamese twins that were first exhibited in London as boys, more than half a century since, were a notable example. When first shown they were but children, and th 6 most popular engraving of the time represented them as playing at shuttlecock .with other. It was at this period of, their lives, that they wfffe modelled,by our lost friend Mr Walsh. " ’ ) , . t) i

•When .they sqVisqqqeqtly rovisited England aftsr settlfhg. in' America T%aw* them a£tfin Sa/'marned' pien, each With children older- than they: were- themselves when I first knew*them.

,!: The united negro gir(s, known aft tfh Q < tybot headed Nightingale,’ thftt were figured in The Field, dere obviously two separate persons, with very distinct individuality and character, although, from the great extent °f union, there was complete »n interchange of the circulation hetwoen them as to make it inevitable that their lives must end as they began, together. Some few days since I saw an announcement outside a street show stating that Laloo, the Indian boy and girl joined together, were to be seen alive. It is needless, to say I plunged in, having no, respect for .conventionality when it stands in the way of .the pursuit of knowledge...,l remember that Mr Mitchell, at t that time secretary of; the Zoological. Society,- scoured' the first Brazilian ant-eater (Myrmecoph'ga jubata) that was ever seen in the Gardens by going into a penhy show to see ‘ The wonderful Antita, that has no teeth, but ‘can eat au egg with its tongue.’ On entering the show I found on intelligent lad of seventeen, about sft 2in in height, with a dark complexion, cheerful, bright, and pleasing features ; he was proceeding to

light a cigarette, and accepted a few from my case with easy affability. He was very active, and could have walked the streets without attracting special notice, differing only from other boys in hi 3 dark complexion, aud in having the appearanoe of having something buttoned under his coat. After making a very cursory inspection, I made an arrangement to see him at the residence of his entrepreneur, Mil M Fraois, 35, Francisstreet, Tottenham Court-road. -

I could suggest the general appearance of La-100 by requesting my readers to imagine a small child to have run violently against a bigger boy, and to have buried hiß head up to the shoulders in the pit of the stomach ; but of course there is no head to the immsture and imperfect twin, nor is there any neck. The prominence of the seventh cervical vertebra can bo felt, and the shoulder blades, from whence proceed the long, apelike arms that La-100 takes in Ids hands and places round his own neck. The hands of the twin are but imperfectly formed, though the nai)3 grow and require to be out. This upper part of the twin body is quite movable at its attachment to the trunk, and can be turned round so as to show fclie rudimentary nipples. The lower parts of tho twin consist of the buttocks and legs, which are even less perfectly developed than the arms ; these are quite distinct from the upper portion, and can be turned over. The joints of the twin are not flexible. The circulation is imperfect; I could detect no pulse in the wrist or in the imperfectly developed limbs. There is obviously neither heart, lungs, nor intestinal canal in tire usual manner. There are, however, kidneys, whose excretion escapes in the usual manner. There is but a small amount of vitality or sensibility in the twin, though if this be pricked or touched the boy is conscious of the fact. There is an extensive cicatrix on one of the feet, the result of a burn. lam compelled to contradict the truth of the placard exhibited, as the sex of the abortive twin is masculine.

The history of the boy is biiefiy told. He is a native of Oudh, born of healthy parents, who are free from any deformity. He has had small-pox, which appeared on both bodies. The case possesses considerable scientific interest, and La-100 has been shown to the several medical societies both in India and this country. The long report of one of the former is reprinted in a descriptive pamphlet which is issued. In this country he has also been carefully examined by Messrs Shattock and Sutton, who propose furnishing an account of the oase to the Pathological Society. I must return my thanks to Mr Fraois for the facilities offered me for examination of this interesting case,.

W. B. Tegetaieier,