Chang and Eng Bunker
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Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811–January 17, 1874) were the twin brothers whose condition and birthplace became the basis for the term Siamese twins (conjoined twins). They were born in Siam (now Thailand), in the province of Samutsongkram, to a Chinese father (Ti-eye) and a half-Chinese/half-Cham mother (Nok).
The Bunkers were joined at the sternum by a small piece of cartilage. Their livers were fused but independently complete. Although 19th century medicine did not have the means to, modern advances in surgical technology would have easily allowed them to be separated today. In 1829, they were discovered in Siam by British merchant Robert Hunter and exhibited as a curiosity during a world tour. Upon termination of their contract with their discoverer, they successfully went into business for themselves. In 1839, while visiting Wilkesboro, North Carolina with P.T. Barnum, the twins were attracted to the town and settled there, becoming naturalized United States citizens.
The brothers settled on a plantation, bought slaves, and adopted the name "Bunker." They were accepted as respected members of the community. On April 13, 1843, they married two sisters: Chang to Adelaide Yates and Eng to Sarah Anne Yates. Chang and his wife had ten children; Eng and his wife had twelve. In time, the wives squabbled and eventually two separate households were set up just west of Mount Airy, North Carolina – the twins would alternate spending three days at each home. During the American Civil War Chang's son Christopher and Eng's son Stephen both fought for the Confederacy. Many of their descendants still live in the Mount Airy area, which is also the hometown of Andy Griffith. The twins died on the same day in 1874.
The fused liver of the Bunker brothers is currently preserved and on display at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
References
- Pages 27-28 and 81, The Chinese in America: A Narrative Hisory, Iris Chang, Viking, 2003, hardcover, 496 pages, ISBN 0-670-03123-2
- Adapted from the Internet-Encyclopedia article, "Chang and Eng Bunker" [www.internet-encyclopedia.org -- Chang and Eng Bunker July 8, 2003]
Further reading
- The Two: The Story of the Original Siamese Twins, Amy and Irving Wallace, Simon & Schuster, 1978, hardcover, ISBN 0671226274
- Eng & Chang: The Original Siamese Twins, David R. Collins, Silver Burdett Press, 1994, paperback, ISBN 0382247191; hardcover, ISBN 0875186025
- Chang and Eng: A Novel, Darin Strauss, Dutton, 2000, paperback, ISBN 0452281091; hardcover, ISBN 0525945121
See also
External links
- [Watercolor of the twins and short biography]
- [Papers of the twins in the archives of the University of North Carolina]
- [Biography from Wilkesboro.com]
- [A Hyphenated Life - detailed story from BlueRidge Country Magazine]
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