From Thomas Churton   3 September 1877

Dear Sir

M^r. Rickards, a Sub-Inspector of Factories, and formerly a medical practitioner at Armley near Leeds, told me to-day of a case of a tailed infant which he saw some years ago. He amputated the tail, after consultation with the late M^r. S. Smith, then Senior Surgeon to the Leeds Infirmary.¹ He has forgotten the name of the patient, but knows the house, and I do not doubt that the name & subsequent history of the child could be obtained, if desired.

He informs me that the tail was two inches in length, moveable (by the child), and could be drawn tightly down— apparently by an extension of the coccygens.

If alive, this person would be now about 23 years old, and it might be worth observing whether his descendants have any tails. It is impossible to doubt the truth of M^r. Rickards’ account of this case. His address is Pool, n^r. Otley, Yorkshire

When in Aberdeen in 1876 (July) I saw in the Hospital there, under D^r. Smith-Shand, a man who had 2 nipples on each side of his chest— the second being (I think) just below the ribs.² Prof. Struthers³ was at the time informed of this case.

I am, dear Sir Your’s very truly | Th^s. Churton MD. | Lecturer in Therapeutics | Leeds Sch. Med &c

Cha^s. Darwin Esq.