Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Early Pairs of Conjoined Twins

The "first" conjoined twins were Eng & Chang Bunker, born in Siam (now Thailand) in 1811, and their fame helped coin the phrase "siamese twins". They moved to America, then toured Europe w/ the Barnum and Bailey circus. After years of travelling, they finally decided to settle down in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. They fathered 11 children total, and married Adelaide and Sarah Ann Yates (siblings of nine daughters). Chang Bunker died in January, 1874, possibly from bronchitis. Eng Bunker died shortly after.

Another known pair of conjoined twinsw were the Biddenden Maids (Mary and Elizabeth Chulkhurst) who were born in 1100, in Biddenden, Kentucky. They were said to be Pypopagus twins, but no one knows for sure.

The earliest separation of conjoined twins weas carried out by a German doctor; G. Konig.

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