Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/90

70 On the first day of last July (1895), while resting late in the afternoon, I suddenly experienced a constrictive sensation in my throat, accompanied by a numbness, which increased for some time, and finally became so distressing that I bathed and rubbed my throat several times—while dressing, soon after it began,—using also a mental treatment (in which I am a firm believer). I could discover no cause within myself for such a sensation, which was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It occurred to me that it might be due to some influence outside of myself, and I thought of my husband with some anxiety, but I remember that the fear for his safety was dissipated by the ludicrous thought that nothing but a "hanging" would be an excuse for such symptoms. I thought also of a friend (Mrs. Baldwin) who was stopping with me at the time. She had gone out that afternoon, and was not in the house when this occurred.

A stiff collar had been a source of annoyance to her frequently, and I thought of that as a possible cause for my discomfort, knowing that she was wearing a freshly laundried shirt-waist at the time. She came in for a few moments to announce her intention of dining out, and I asked her if her collar had made her uncomfortable that afternoon. She assured me to the contrary, and I told her of my strange experience. We discussed it while she was in, and soon after she left Mr. Castle (my husband) came home to dinner.

Mr. Castle's account of his experience is as follows:

On the afternoon of the first day of July, 1895, I unexpectedly had an operation performed on my throat by Dr. Bell.

To allow for the passing off of the effects of anaesthetic used in my throat he told me to remain quiet awhile after the operation. But I thought I could save time by sitting in the barber's chair, and so walked about—yards to a barber's shop. There I was soon seized with a terrible choking sensation