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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    and his European fervant, the religious prejudices of the parents not allowing them to difpenfe with its being interred. My friend, Captain Buchanan, late Commander of the Ranger Packet, in the fervice of the honourable the Eaff India ^ Company, when at Bengal refided a few days in Mr. Dent’s houfe. He was much ftruck with the uncommon appearance of the double fkull, and expreffed a wilh that he might be allowed to bring it to Europe, and prefent it to me; know¬ ing, from the interefi: 1 have always taken in thofe purfuits which have fo long and fo deeply engaged your attention, it would be a moft acceptable prefent. His requeft was no fooner communicated to Mr. Dent, than it was complied with ; that gentleman having too much liberality to hefitate a moment in fending fo rare a curiofity to Europe. I Ihould do both thefe gentlemen injuflice, were I not to attribute their readinefs upon the prefent occafion to oblige me, in a great meafure to their knowing that the double Ikull would be depofited in your col- ledlion, which mud: now be confidered more as a national and public repofitory than a private cabinet. The two Ikulls which compofe this monfirous head appear to be nearly of the fame lize, and equally complete in their offification, except a fmall fpace at the upper edge of the olTa frontis of the fuperior Ikull, fimilar to a fontinelle. The mode in which the two are united is curious, as no portion of bone is either added or diminiflied for that purpofe; but the frontal and parietal bones of each fkull, indiead of being bent inwards, fo as to form the top of the head, are continued on ; and, from the oblique podtion of the two heads, the bones of the one pafs a little way into the natural futures of the other, forming a zig-zag line, or circular future uniting them toge¬ ther. %