Josephine Myrtle Corbin was born with a rare birth defect called polymelia, which means she was born with extra limbs. In her case, she had four legs, two normal ones and two smaller ones that grew from her hips. But there was more. She also had two sets of reproductive organs and two pelvises. Because of this rare occurrence, she is probably one of the few people in history considered marvels. Let’s delve into Myrtle’s story and discover the exceptional milestones in her life.

Myrtle was considered a rare and remarkable case of human development.

Josephine Myrtle Corbin, an American performing artist, came into the world in 1868 as a remarkable medical oddity. Afflicted with a disease known as dipygus, she possessed two lower bodies from the waist down. This unusual phenomenon occurred because her body axis split during development, resulting in two separate pelvises, side by side. Remarkably, her smaller inner legs were paired with one of her outer legs. While Myrtle could move her inner legs, they were too weak to walk.

Myrtle, the daughter of William and Nancy, was born in Tennessee, and her arrival sparked both wonder and concern. At age 25, her father, William, and mother, Nancy, 34, welcomed the unique little Myrtle into their lives. Medical professionals noted that if Myrtle had been born breech, buttocks first, it could have been potentially fatal for both her and her mother. Fortunately, Myrtle’s early days were promising, as she showed signs of strength and weighed 10 pounds (4.5 kg) just 3 weeks after her birth.

Myrtle’s father was experiencing financial difficulties and had to think of ways to support his growing family.

At 5 weeks old, people were given the opportunity to visit William Corbin and marvel at his four-legged daughter for a small fee. As the years passed, Myrtle grew accustomed to the constant stares and amazement of those who knew of her rare condition. Her inner legs never fully developed, her right foot was deformed, and her two smaller legs had three toes on each foot.

Over the next decade, William took Myrtle on a cross-country tour, where she participated in fairs, sideshows, and dime museums. By the time she was 14, she had achieved success and landed a lucrative contract that paid her an unusually high salary of $250 a week.

The four-legged girl, Myrtle, had a younger sister named Ann, who fortunately did not suffer any birth defects.

Myrtle married when she was 18 and later became a mother.

As Myrtle entered adulthood, she grew tired of the constant attention she received due to her condition. At 18, she decided to marry James Bicknell, a medical student, after which she retired from her artistic career. Interestingly, her fame had inspired others to attempt to fake her unique deformity, but all of these impostors were eventually exposed as frauds.

A year after they married, Myrtle experienced troubling symptoms such as fever, nausea, headaches, and flank pain. Worried, she sought medical attention, and to her disbelief, the doctor revealed that she was pregnant on her left side. Myrtle responded skeptically, saying, “If I had been on my right side, I’d be closer to believing you’re right.” The pregnancy proved challenging for her health, and doctors even advised her to consider an abortion due to the severity of her illness. However, Myrtle made a quick recovery.

Over the years, James and Myrtle welcomed seven more children into their family. Tragically, only five of them survived infancy: four daughters and one son.

The family lived a quiet life until their five children reached adulthood. Then Myrtle re-entered show business. In 1909, when Myrtle was 41, she was part of the Huber Museum exhibit, appearing as The Four-Legged Girl from Cleburne, Texas. She often dressed her four legs in matching shoes and socks, to the delight of the public. At the time, she earned $450 a week.

In 1928, Myrtle developed a skin infection on her right leg, and the doctor diagnosed her with erysipelas, or strep throat. A week later, on May 6, 1928, Myrtle died. Her coffin was covered with concrete, and family members watched over it until it was fully healed to prevent grave robbers from stealing her remains.

Nearly a century later, Josephine Myrtle Corbin Bicknell continued to inspire others by showing that even in the 19th century, a woman could forge a successful career and become a mother at the same time.