Meet Myrtle, a woman who was born with four legs and eventually became a mother.
Josephine Myrtle Corbin was born with polymelia, an uncommon birth abnormality characterized by the presence of extra limbs. In her case, she had four legs, two normal and two smaller ones that developed from her hips. However, there was more to it. She also possessed two sets of reproductive organs and two pelvises. Because of this unusual occurrence, she is most likely one of the few persons in history who are called wonders. Let us delve into Myrtle’s life story and find her remarkable achievements.
Myrtle was considered a rare and remarkable case of human development.
Myrtle’s father was facing financial hardship and had to think of ways to support his growing family.
People could pay a modest charge to see William Corbin’s four-legged daughter when she was 5 weeks old. Myrtle grew accustomed to the continual attention and bewilderment of everyone who witnessed her uncommon state. Her inner legs never fully matured, her right foot was clubbed, and both of her smaller legs had three toes per foot.
Over the next decade, William took Myrtle on a cross-country journey, where she attended fairs, sideshows, and penny museums. By the time she was 14, she had gained success and secured a lucrative contract at $250 per week.
Myrtle, the four-legged child, had a younger sister named Ann, who, happily, had no birth abnormalities.
Myrtle married when she was 18 and later became a mother.
Myrtle began experiencing severe symptoms one year after their marriage, including fever, nausea, headaches, and side pains. Concerned, she sought medical assistance, and to her surprise, the doctor discovered she was pregnant on the left side. Myrtle remarked skeptically, “If it had been on my right side, I would have come nearer believing you are correct.” The pregnancy was difficult for her health, and physicians even recommended her to contemplate an abortion owing to the severity of her condition. However, Myrtle recovered quickly.
James and Myrtle went on to have seven more children. Tragically, only five of them survived infancy: four daughters and one son.
The family led a tranquil existence until their five children reached adulthood. Then Myrtle returned to the entertainment business. Myrtle was 41 years old when she participated in Huber’s Museum display as The Four-Legged Girl from Cleburne, Texas, in 1909. She frequently clothed her four legs in matching shoes and stockings, which delighted the audience. She earned $450 per week at the time.
Myrtle got a skin illness on her right leg in 1928, and the doctor diagnosed her with erysipelas, sometimes known as strep. A week later, on May 6, 1928, Myrtle died. Her casket was covered with concrete, and family members kept an eye on it until it was completely cured to prevent grave robbers from taking her bones.
Almost a century later, Josephine Myrtle Corbin Bicknell continues to inspire people by demonstrating that, even in the nineteenth century, a woman might pursue a successful career while still becoming a mother.