An account of a child with a double head / [Sir Everard Home].

  • Home, Everard, Sir, 1756-1832
Date:
1790]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of a child with a double head / [Sir Everard Home]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the lead: afFe£led; but, when fuddenlj expofed to a d:rong; light, it contradted, although not fo much as it ufually does. The eyes did not correfpond in their motions with thofe of the lower head ; but appeared often to be open when the child was afleep, and {hut when it was awake. The external ears were very imperfedl, being only loofe folds of fkin ; and one of them mutilated by having been burnt. There did not appear to be any paflage leading into the bone which contains the organ of hearing. The lower jaw w^as rather fmaller than it naturally fliould be, but was capable of motion. The tongue was fmall, flat, and adhered firmly to the lower jaw, except for about half an inch at the tip, which was loofe. The gums in both jaws had the natural appearance; but no teeth were to be feen either in this head or the other. The internal furfaces of the nofe and rnouth were lubri¬ cated by the natural fecretions, a confiderable quantity of mu¬ cus and faliva being occafionally difcharged from them. The mufcles of the face were evidently poiTeffed of powers of adtion, and the whole head had a good deal of fenfibility, fince violence to the fkin produced the diftortion expreffivd of crying, and thrufting the finger into the mouth made it fhew ftrong marks of pain. When the mother’s nipple was applied to the mouth, the lips attempted to fuck. The natural head had nothing uncommon in its appearance j the eyes were attentive to objedls, and its mouth fucked the breafl vigoroufly. Its body was emaciated. The parents of the child were poor, and carried it about the ftreets of Calcutta as a ciiriofity to be feen for money ; and to prevent its being expofed to the populace, they kept it con- ftantly covered up, which was conlidered as the caufe of its. being emaciated and unhealthy, 3 The