Masha & Dasha

The new mother was told that her twin babies had died after birth. However, the truth was far different: they were sent to an institute near Moscow to be studied. This was to be the fate of "Masha" & "Dasha", one of the most unusual set of conjoined twins ever born.

Conjoined or Siamese twins are formed in the same way as identical twins but the eggs, for some reason, don't completely separate; instead, they remain partially attached.

Although Masha & Dasha have four arms, they have only three legs. They stand on two of their legs, one controlled by each while a third, vestigial leg remains in the air behind them. Their upper intestines are separated but they share a single lower intestine and rectum. They have four kidneys and one bladder. They have a common reproductive system.

Because their circulatory systems are interconnected, the twins share each other's blood. A germ that enters one twin's bloodstream will soon be seen in the blood of her sister. Surprisingly, illness affects them differently. Dasha is near-sighted, prone to colds and right-handed. Masha has a healthier constitution, higher blood pressure, good eyesight and is left-handed.

The twins differing health pattern present a mystery. Why did one become ill with a childhood disease while the other did not? The measles "bug" was in both of their bodies, in their collective bloodstream; so why didn't both get the measles?
This phenomenon was seen over and over again with the girls (flu, colds, other diseases were all experienced separately). If germs alone had the power to cause infectious diseases, why would one of the twins be disease-free while the other was ill? What was it in their makeup that differentiated one from the other.

The answer was not far to seek. Although the twins had common circulatory, digestive, excretory, lymphatic, endocrine and skeletal systems (they were joined at the hips), they had separate spinal columns and spinal cords. This was a very important difference between the girls.

In these extraordinary twins natures "laboratory" devised an experiment that no researcher could ever duplicate. The twins are an invaluable example confirming that there is much more to "catching" a disease than simply breathing in germs; germs can make you sick if, and only if, your body provides them fertile ground in which to grow.
The state of your nervous system can determine whether or not (and how quickly) you will recover. By keeping your spinal column and nervous system free from subluxation stress, chiropractic care keeps you in a higher state of health.