Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 15.djvu/473

Rh any means that could be thought of; and from that time forth, excepting a few short intervals, she remained in a state of constant sleep till the beginning of August. Her condition was now singular enough. She still made an attempt to get out of bed when she required to go to stool; when food was presented to her lips with a spoon, she readily took it into her mouth and swallowed it, and in this way she was fed as long as the torpor continued; when she had taken what appeared a sufficiency, she closed her teeth as a sign she was satisfied, and if importuned to take more, turned away her mouth from the spoon. She appeared also to distinguish different tastes, for she gave an evident preference to some sorts of food and obstinately refused others. She sometimes even, to all appearance, judged of the nature of the food or medicines offered to her, by the sense of smelling; and, when the latter were such as possessed a strong odor, she would often close her mouth in a determined manner before they touched her lips.

By this time the startings in her sleep had left her; and although the expressions she uttered when in that state were, with some slight additions, nearly the same as formerly, yet her manner of speaking was now indicative of satisfaction and not of fright. She often even sang to a simple but cheerful air nearly the same words which she used formerly to cry out with every appearance of the greatest terror.

The torpor continued nearly in the same degree till the end of July, with occasional intervals of waking, which happened at uncertain periods, but generally at the distance of a few days from each other, and were occasioned by pain experienced in some part of her body. The first of these took place after she had been ten days in a continued state of torpor; it was caused by severe griping from laxative medicine. She awakened in great suffering, crying out, "Pain! pain!" "Die! die!" and placing her hands on the abdomen. She was relieved by means of warm fomentations; but she, notwithstanding, kept awake for some hours after, during which time she answered no question, in however loud a voice it was put to her, and recognized nobody except one old acquaintance, whom she had not seen for more than twelve months. She looked steadfastly in this person's face for a few seconds, apparently occupied in trying to remember his name, which at length she found out and repeated again and again, at the same time taking him by the hand as if overjoyed to see him; but when questioned regarding him, she answered only by calling out his name, which she continued to repeat for some time after she had fallen asleep, in addition to what she usually said. In the course of the next eight days she was twice roused from her sleep by a similar cause, but not so completely; the same individual was still the only person she knew; among others she did not recognize even her own husband, who happened then to be in Scotland.

The next interval of waking took place three or four days afterward; it appeared to be occasioned by pain in the head. She cried