When the twin girls Martha and Marie were born in Copenhagen on a spring day in 1848, they were healthy. The midwife welcomed them, their cries filled the room, and their little arms and legs were full of life.
For the next four days, they continued to do ’quite well,’ as the obstetrician, Professor Carl E. Levy noted.
Considering they were born into one of the city’s impoverished families, it was certainly unusual for the doctor to observe the newborns so closely. The explanation was this: the girls were conjoined twins, united at the lower abdomen.
The family had handed them over to the Birth Foundation (Fødselsstiftelsen) in Bredgade, explaining they were unable to care for them, likely also due to the shame associated with having deformed children. At the hospital, they received care and attention, and two wet nurses were hired.
