Like promised - the curiosities

Greatest number of twins to one motherThe first wife of Fyodor Vassilet, a peasant of the Moscow Juridisction, had 69 children. In 27 confinements, she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. Most of the children survived. Mme Vassilet (1816-72) was so renowned that she was presented at the Court of the Tsar Alaxander IIRef Guiness Book of world records
ParthenogenesisThe only significant claim to parthenogenesis in recent years was fully investigated and reported by S. BAlfour Lynn. The woman, 'Mrs. Alpha', had a daughter where parthenogenesis could not be disproved.Ref S. Balfour Lynn (1955) Letter to LAncet, ii, 967
Youngest motherLina MEdina was delivered by Caesarean section at LA MAternidad de Lima in Peru in 1939. She was aged 5 1?2. The baby weighed 2700 g. Lima MEdina was born in PEru in 1933 and developed secendory sex characteristics in the first year and had her first period at the age of eight months.Ref. Jonathan Scott, personal communication, also E. Esconiel (1939) Presse Med., 47, 1648
False twinsFalse twins are not uncommon, when 'twin' children have been fathered by diffrent men.
A recent case was proven by a blood test producing evidence for a court ruling that one of the twins was illegitimate. The twins were born in Dinslaken, West Germany in 1970.Ref The Times, 31st December 1970
In Nashville, Tennessee in Spetember 1887, a Negro gave birth to one black baby and one mulatto baby, presumable having been impregnated twice.REf. G.M. Gould and W.L. Pyle (1901) Anomoliesand Curiosities of MEdicine. London: Saunders & Co.
!. Unsusual methods of conceptionOn 12th May 1863, a bullet fired in the American Civil War by thr Confederates is said to have hit and carried away the left testis of one of Grant's soldiers. The same bullet went on to penetrate the left side of a young woman who was ministering to the wounds of the injured. Two hundred and seventy-eight days later, she, firmly insisting on her virginity, gave birth to an 8lb (3.6 kg) boy. The hymen was intact. Three weeks later, Dr L.G. Capers of Vicksburg, Miss., was called to see the boy because of a swelling in his scrotum. HE operated and removed a smashed and battered minieball. He concluded that this was the same bullet that had hit the testis of the father, thus carrying sperm to the mother and fertilizing the ovum. He approached the soldier and related the story, later introducing him to the mother. The two formed an attachment and married, later producing three more children by conventional means.Ref. Lancet, i, 35, 1875
A case is reported that during the seige of Bernen of Zsoom in 1622, a soldier's wife was cut in two by a cannonball. A soldier keeping watch found the child in its intact membranes in the stream. IT was recovered and was later christened Albert Ambrosius after his fatehr.Ref (1) Professor F.B. Osiander (1796) Handbook and the arts of Midwifery, Gottingen (2) Stalpart. Dissert de Foet, Nutriet., 45. Also reproducved in G.M. GOuld and W.L. Pyle (1901) Anamolies and curiosities in medicine. London " Saunders & Co
how the hell?abother bullet-testis impregnation?Intact Hymen Preventing DeliveryA case is reported of a woman who presented for the first time in labour 1955. On examination, the baby's head was right down the perineum with a thick hymen stretched over it. Division of the hymen was bloodless and permitted a normal vaginal delivery. Ref Patricia Price, personal communication

Unusual methods of deliverySeveral cases are recorded of birth per rectum. a recent example is that of a M'Kikuyu woman, who had previously undergone female circumcision. In labour, the posterior vaginal wall ruptured and she delivered herself per rectum, tearing the sphincter ani.Re. P.G. Preston, personal communications.Really man, OUCH!
Ossification of the clitorisA case is recorded in Venice of a 'public woman' who had an osseous clitoris. It was said that men having connection with her invariably suffered great pain followed by inflamation of the p[enis.Ref. Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales, Paris, 1812.Reproduced by G.M. Gould and W.L. Pyle (1901) Anomalies and Curiosities of MEdicine, London: Saunders & Co.
Vaginal foreign bodiesThere are a great many references to an enormous deversity of foreign bodies, including goblets, hairpins, needles, bottles, beer glasses, compasses, bobbins and pessaries. In our won expirience, we have witnessed a British LEyland Mini gear knob. The histologist was unable to give the year of manufacture. In another case, a front collar stud was found. Ref. S.B. Herd, presented to North of Englad Obstetric and Gynaecological society, February 1955.At the same meeting speakiers from the floor described their findings including a piece of tin and a goldfish.
Anamolies of the VaginaAll manner of ocongenital anamolies of the vagina are recorded, ranging from compelete absence to duplication, and anamalous openings. None of these cases can be considered unique, though Ferguson reports of a case of a prostitute of 18 years who was found to have no vagina, uterus or ovaries. She had practiced her profession by conducting coitus through the urethra which was considerably dilated as a result, though not causing incontinence of urine.Ref. ferguson (1883) PLanet, NEw York, i
Foreign bodies in the cervixA case is reported of a yound woman who was found to have a signet ring embedded in the cervix.Re. DAme Josophine BErnes, personal communication
Uterine Anamolies, Utreus implanted into rectumThere are a great many congenital uterine anamolies ranging from absence to complete reduplication, but it is unlikely if any of these are unique. A possible exception is offered as an example.A bengali muslim of 28 complained of irregular painful periods and mensturation per rectum. Examination revealed a blind vaginal vault. Laparotomy showed the lower pole of the utreus to be 3 in (7.5 cm) distant from the vault of the vagina and implanted into the rectum, just below the rectosigmoid junction. this developemental anamoly is thought to be the only recorded case and seems to be caused by a failure of the mullerian ducts to unite with the urogenital sinus.Ref. I.T. Patrick et al. (1957) Letter to lancet II, 896
Again, How the hell?Ectopic Menstruation (Endometrosis)Many extraordinary cases of cyclical mestruation from extrauterine sites have been recorded, including vicarious mesturation from the breasts, ear and mouth. the following are some examples of authentic cases.
sir James Paget reported the case of a girl seen at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London who had a small effusion of blood into the anterior chamber of the eye at the time of each period.Ref. J. Paget (1882) Lancet I 786
Another case is reported of a young lady who was wounded in her leg after breaking one of the steel struts of her crinoline. Thereafter, she had regular blood loss from the wound at the time of her periods. Ref. hogg (1885) Lancet ii, 515
A recent, but not unique case is reported of a woman who mensturated regularly per urethramRef. R.D. de VEre, personal communication
A case of regular mensturation into the pleural cavity occcured in a young woman. The diagnosis was confirmed by removing an area of endometrosis from the pleura.Ref. Dame Josophine Barnes, Personal communication