PAET L 



UNION OF ORGANS. 



The union of parts, usually separate in their adult 

 condition, is of very common occurrence as a mal- 

 formation. The instances of its manifestation admit 

 of being grouped under the heads of Cohesion, where 

 parts of the same whorl, or of the same organ, are 

 united together; and of Adhesion, where the union 

 takes place between members of different whorls, or 

 between two or more ordinarily wholly detached and 

 distinct parts. In either case, the apparent union may 

 be congenital (that is, the result of a primitive integrity 

 or a lack of separation), or it may really consist in a 

 coalition of parts originally distinct and separate. In 

 practice it is not always easy to distinguish between 

 these two different conditions. Indeed, in most cases 

 it cannot be done without tracing the development of 

 the fioAver throughout all its stages. It is needless to 

 make more than a passing allusion to the frequency 

 with which both congenital integrity or subse- 

 quent coalescence of organs exist under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances. Considered as a teratological pheno- 

 menon, union admits of being grouped into several 

 subdivisions, such as Cohesion, Adhesion, Synanthy, 

 Syncarpy, Synophty, &c. Each of these sub-divisions 

 will be separately treated, but it may be here said that, 

 in all or any case, the degree of fusion may be very 

 slight, or it may be so perfect that there may be a 

 complete amalgamation of two or more parts, while to 

 all outward appearance the organ may be single. The 



