The fate of a nineteenth-century Ischiopagus from Denmark

A taxidermic preparation of newborn Danish conjoined twins from 1848 is analyzed to clarify how the preparation originally was made and the causes of its present state of preservation. The analyses include macroscopic documentation, X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, identification of fibres and shrinkage temperature. The object is unique and has great presentation value: the context in which it might be exhibited is also discussed. It forms part of the collection begun by Professor Mathias Saxtorph (1740–1800), extended by his son, Professor Johan Saxtorph (1772–1840) and administered since that time by the Royal Maternity Hospital, Copenhagen.