885. Two foetuses, united from the umbilicus to the upper third of the sternum ; in spirit.
The mother was forty-three years of age, and had had seven or eight well-formed children. In the present case the heads presented, and the children lived about fifteen minutes after they were born. A month afterward the mother was doing sufficiently well. "Weight of the foetuses 5ig- Ibs. Each (A and B) had its oesophagus and stomach equally developed. At about an inch from the pylorus the duodena united, and the canal was single for 37 in. It then again divided, but first dilated into a cavity of a some- what triangular form, and nearly as large as the top of the thumb. Below this the small intestine of A was 23-J in., and of B, 32 in. ; large intestine of A, 16 in., and of B, 23 in. The intestine of A, 2f in. below the division, was obliterated by a thin septum ; and below this was smaller than the other, and contained only mucus. Dilatations just at the division of the intestine in double monsters, are de- scribed and figured in the Catalogue of the Med. Soc.'s Cabinet. As usual in such cases, the diaphragm formed one large arch. The livers were fused, and had two dis- tinct gall-bladders ; and the following organs were found in each foetus, the spleen, kidneys, and renal capsules, bladder, testicles, vesiculae seminales, lungs, etc.
The two hearts were fused, and very broad for their length. The auricles formed almost a common cavity. The upper vena cava of A ran down upon the left side, but opened into the right auricle ; the course of the other v. cava being as usual. The pulmonary veins of each foetus, respectively, formed a common trunk ; that of B opening into the right auricle. From the right ventricle of A a pulmonary artery arose, but there was no ductus arteri- osus. The left ventricle communicated pretty freely with the right, but not directly with the auricle. The aorta could be inflated, but a small probe could not be passed into it. Right umbilical artery wanting, and the iliac was, of course, very small ; the left being very large. In B it was just the reverse. In B the pulmonary artery was normal. The left ventricle had no communication with the right, but was directly continuous with the right ventricle of A.
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