# Cojoined twins - kill one to save the other?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 20, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714 "2001-04-20T19:49:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714/1 "2001-04-20T19:49:06Z")

</div>

I’m taking a graduate level biomedical ethics class after 30 years away from the college classroom. A big part of the grade is a research paper on a case that raises questions of–you guessed it–biomedical ethics.

I will be doing my paper on the case of the cojoined twins in Great Britain last year  
[Basic facts here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_937000/937449.stm)

The operation was carried out and the dependent twin died.

The professor has encouraged us to go to as many different sources as possible to get the widest possible distribution of viewpoints. Naturally, I’m hoping the powerful and subtle minds of the SMDB’ers will provide keen insights (and sources for further information–please!).

There are a lot of players here - the parents, the hospital & doctors, the courts, the church, etc.

All thoughts, opinions, rants, etc. gratefully received.  
Hometownboy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714/2 "2001-04-20T21:44:01Z")

</div>

there was a discussion about that [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=39627) back when it was happening.

For me, personally, it was such a heartwrenching situation, I’d rather not get into it any more than I did already in that thread. Hope you understand. But, you at least have some opinions shared there.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714/3 "2001-04-20T23:17:31Z")

</div>

Many thanks, \*\* wring \*\*. Honest, I did do a search before posting, but I used “cojoined” rather than “Siamese” and only turned up the current thread in another forum about what to do if one of the twins commits a crime.

Rather than bother anybody with old news, I’ll ask the mods to close this thread and get my info from the previous thread. Thanks again,  
Hometownboy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cojoined-twins-kill-one-to-save-the-other/62714/4 "2001-04-20T23:33:31Z")

</div>

s’all right - I **knew** it was there and had a tough time finding it. As far as closing the thread, up to you, it’s entirely possible that other folks hadn’t joined in on that one, have joined since then etc. It was just that for me, it was so sad. anyhow, best of luck to ya.