Pushing The Limits Of Endurance
Renowned conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker found an unlikely advocate in Robert Hunter, whom they regarded as a paternal figure. It was Hunter who ultimately persuaded the brothers to submit to a series of medical investigations, a decision that would test their endurance in ways they could never have anticipated.
Describing these invasive procedures as mere examinations fails to capture the absurd and often demeaning nature of the tests the twins were forced to endure. Delving into the peculiarities of these so-called “studies” reveals the extent of the twins’ suffering.
In one instance, a physician would repeatedly sneak into their quarters at night, prodding one brother to determine if the other would stir from his slumber.
The experiments grew increasingly invasive: the twins were pricked with needles to gauge their relative sensitivity to pain; one was given a sour substance to eat to see if his brother’s face would contort in disgust; and perhaps most demeaning of all, the “tickle test,” where one was tickled to see if the other could suppress a laugh.
Despite being treated as little more than scientific curiosities, Chang and Eng demonstrated remarkable fortitude. Their resilience in the face of such trials was nothing short of extraordinary, and ultimately, their patience yielded dividends far greater than the immediate discomforts they suffered..