Extract of a Letter Dated at Montpelier, Dec. 27. 1731. N. S. from Andrew Cantwell, M. D. Monspel. to T. S. M. D. and by Him Translated from the French, Giving an Account of a Monstrous Boy

VIII. Extract of a Letter dated at Montpelier, Dec. 27. 1731. N. S. from Andrew Cantwell, M.D. Monspel. to T.S. M.D. and by him translated from the French, giving an Account of a monstrous Boy. There is actually in this Town, a Lad of thirteen Years of Age, born at Cremona, who bears the lower Parts of another Boy, which seem to issue from his Epigastric Region, between the Cartilago ensiformis and the Navel. The Fore-part of the one faces that of the other. The Head and Trunk seem buried in the Lad's Abdomen, down to the Hips, where the Connection is plainly to be seen. This Portion of the prominent Body has a well-form'd Anus and Penis. The Scrotum has a fine Down on it, but is void of Testicles, and seems to be filled with the Intestines. Nothing passes through these two Outlets. I have perfectly well distinguished the two Ossa Ilium in their natural State, but could not feel the Os Sacrum. The Articulation of the Femur is somewhat discernible on each Side: and I have perceived the Pulsation of the anterior crural Arteries. The Lad is very sensible when these additional Feet, Legs, or Buttocks, are pinched, or over-much pressed. He has lately had the Small-pox, and these have suffered by it equally with him. At his Navel I found a considerable Rupture, which is covered by this Portion of a Body. This Rupture grows monstrously big in wet Weather, and diminishes again in dry. dry. It has a circular Hole in it, which runs through the Peritoneum. The Lad is of a thin Habit of Body, but otherwise enjoys good Health. His Father, Michael Martinetti, a Tinker, told me, that this is the seventh Child his Wife Nunciada bore him. She was thirty Years of Age at his Birth, and bore him two more since. All the rest were of the natural Shape. IX. Three extraordinary Cases in Surgery, by Bezaleel Sherman, Surgeon, at Kelvedon in Essex, communicated in November 1738. Samuel Bush, of the Parish of Wickham-Bishops, in September 1704, being on the Top of a very high Timber Tree, in order to shake down the Acorns, he let go his Hold; and by falling from one Bough of the Tree upon another, he broke his Thigh-bone; and one End of it, by the Force of the Fall, stuck fast in the Ground, which fractured the Bone in another Place, about two Inches and an half above the former. This intire Piece of the Os Femoris was taken out; notwithstanding which, so large a Callus united the two Ends of the Bone, that his Thigh (when cured) was very little more than a quarter of an Inch shorter than the other Thigh. The Surgeon who had the Care of him, used his greatest Endeavours, during the Cure, to preserve the Extension; but he imputed the Largeness of the Callus to a very great Quantity of Lap. Osteocolla, which he made him take for six Weeks or two Months, in Powder with Milk,