In May 1814, the Sherborne surgeon Nathaniel Highmore (not to be confused with the seventeenth century surgeon of the same name), was requested to examine the abdomen of Thomas Lane, a fifteen-year-old boy who had been confined to his bed in pain.
The following month, Highmore was recalled by Lane’s mother to re-examine her son after the prescribed medication had not brought any relief. That evening Lane died, and Highmore requested to conduct an autopsy, during which he discovered a foetal abnormality inside the boy’s body. This was probably a twin that had been absorbed while in the womb.
Highmore sent the foetus to London, where it was examined by doctors in the city, as well as by the Prince Regent (the future George IV), before being sent to the Royal College of Surgeons for preservation. In 1815, Highmore published this account of the case, the Prince heading the subscription list. It was written for a general audience and includes an extensive description of the foetus, illustrated with two plates.