Assembled at the clinic we found Professors Pancoast, Ormsby, Rand and Gross, and Drs. Meigs, W. H. Pancoast, Gardette, Ray, Turnbull, Atkinson, Barson, Bache, Dickson, Cohen, Atlee, Andrews and others, well known to surgical fame.
The double-headed girl was introduced by Dr. William H. Pancoast, the demonstrator of anatomy at the College, and a general feeling of astonishment was felt when it was discovered that, instead of a monstrosity there was exhibited to the professional talent assembled a well-educated, intelligent, quick-witted girl, with nothing about her that was repulsive or calculated to offend the most fastidious, but which at once stamped her as a wonder and a source of scientific information to those learned in anatomy.
Dr. Pancoast stated that the body had been placed under his professional care, and, owing to the important questions involved, a private examination had been made by Professors Pancoast and Gross, and Drs. Sevie and Andrews, which had verified all the opinions expressed as to her duality.
It was then stated that this remarkable freak of nature was united at the lateral posterior portion of the pelvis, while above that point they were separated—had separate chests, two pairs of fully developed arms, but only one trunk.
The double-headed possessed separate intellectual faculties as entirely distinct as was the brain power of two different individuals, while their faces indicated, to a remarkable degree, intelligence of a high order and amiability. The lower portion of the body had inclined outwards from each side, and the lower limbs were inferior, and not so fully developed as the arms.
A series of experiments was then made under the direction of Professors Pancoast, Atlee, Maury, and others, calculated to demonstrate the construction of the nervous system, which showed that while above the junction the sense of feeling was separate and distinct in each, below the union it was in common. A touch upon the foot of one would be instantly detected by the other, while a hand placed upon either shoulder was only noticed by the one touched.
The pulse of Millie was found to be about four beats slower than that of Christine, while the beat of the two hearts was nearly the same.
An impromptu performance was given at the clinic in order to show the agility of the girl, and, to the astonishment of the audience, dances were executed, conversations carried on between the two heads, and conversations with two different persons at one and the same time. They stood upon their outer limbs, walked about with a pleasing undulating motion, and Christine lifted the other by the ligature at the pelvis merely by inclining her body to one side. To cap the climax, a duet was executed by the girl, displaying musical knowledge, culture, perfect time and tune, one head taking the soprano and the other the alto; and then, in order to show the sympathetic nature of their voices, “Sweet Spirit, Hear my Prayer,” was given in admirable style.
Some of the leading statesmen in Washington manifested great interest in the case, and two of the most eminent physicians in the city wore afforded an opportunity to make an examination. Respecting it, the Washington Republican says: “The examination by Dr. Bliss and Dr. Borland was most satisfactory, and revealed the fact that the representations made by the young lady’s guardians are entirely correct, the girl being but of one body, with two heads, four arms, four feet, two sets of lungs, two hearts, but only one physical organization. The doctors express themselves as entirely satisfied that the young lady is the most wonderful human being on the face of the earth.”
The Baltimore Sun, a paper of very high standing in Maryland, says: “There is, at the juncture of the trunk, but one spinal column. The nervous system seems to be identical, but each possesses individual consciousness, and each head does its own thinking. On the other hand, the appetite is the same; when one is hungry the other is the same. The digestive organs are independent. As she moves about she looks like two bright young copper-colored girls tied together in the middle, in the same dress, which is cut short so as to display the movements of four feet. The busts of each are very nearly symmetrical; the heads and necks, shoulders and arms, are perfect. The faces are round, bright and intelligent; eyes large and clear; hair black and glossy.”