[The history of the Pathologic Museum of the Berlin Charité Hospital. 4. The remarkable events concerning a twin monster from Eupen].

Abstract

A legal dispute broke out in Eupen near Aachen, 1873, and was to be protracted through 14 years. The case was about a twin monster that had died at or after birth. A physician in Eupen, at the same time public servant in the local government, was aware of Virchow's interest in collecting cases. He obtained the two interconnected dead bodies from the parents and promised the latter a sizeable amount of money, obviously assuming that Virchow had at his disposal funds for compensation, as had been the case with Rudolphi and Müller, some time before. The twin monster was sent to Berlin, but no money showed up. The parents sought legal counsel with their local police commissioner who also held the post of local attorney. The attorney opened an investigation, and the district commissioner got involved. The physician was officially reproved by the Aachen government for having trespassed his authority in obtaining the twin monster. Two questions were now cropping up in Eupen: Did Virchow pay money to the local physician? If so, why did the latter fail to pass it on to the parents? This might be a case for civil action. The police commissioner promised the parents to see Virchow in Berlin and to ask him for clarification. The father, when interrogated, insisted that one of the children had definitely lived for a short time after birth. This would entail a penal case on the physician and a charge of law-breaking. But this could be averted. The police commissioner managed to go to Berlin not before 1887. Hoping to have a legal claim to embezzled money even after 14 years, he intended to call on Virchow for questioning. Yet, he missed him and left behind a letter with a request for information on those past developments.