456 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



took twice a week, she had given up the use of medicine altogether. 

 No probable cause could be assigned for these complaints. 



On her arrival in this place, which, as already mentioned, was 

 about the end of April last, she had lost but little flesh, and by no 

 means looked sickly ; indeed, she was little, if at all, changed in her 

 appearance ; all her external senses were sound, but her memory was 

 impaired, and she was very inattentive to surrounding objects, which 

 made her dull and absent in company. The sleepiness had been very 

 gradually increasing, and was now arrived at such a height that, un- 

 less when conversing with another person, or engaged in some manual 

 occupation, she fell asleep at all times, and in whatever situation or 

 position she might be. When in this state her eyes were nearly closed, 

 she breathed softly, and, in short, very much resembled a person in 

 natural sleep, except that when she happened to fall asleep in a posi- 

 tion in which the body naturally requires to be supported, as for in- 

 stance on a chair, she did not lean forward or backward as is common- 

 ly the case, but sat with her body quite erect, and her head gently 

 inclined to one side. While in this state she was subject to frequent 

 startings, during which she raised herself up, talked as if she were 

 frightened, drew herself back as if to avoid something disagreeable, 

 and then after a few seconds lay quietly down again without having 

 waked. What she said on these occasions, though quite incoherent, 

 was yet always nearly of the same nature, and for the most part con- 

 sisted even of the same expressions, which were those of great aversion 

 or horror ; of this she had no recollection when awake, nor of anything 

 connected with it ; and she herself remarked as something extraordi- 

 nary that now she did not dream, although she used formerly to be 

 very subject to dreaming. From this sleep she never awoke of her 

 own accord, except to obey the calls of nature ; and there was no 

 other way of rousing her up upon other occasions, but by placing her 

 on her feet and endeavoring to make her walk. When thus forcibly 

 awakened, she was fretful, and cried for some time after. She took 

 food in sufficient quantity, and often with evident relish ; but it re- 

 quired much entreaty to make her take the first two or three mouth- 

 fids. The pulse varied a little, but on the whole was nearly natural ; 

 during sleep it was commonly from fifty-six to seventy, and somewhat 

 more when awake. Her bowels were very costive, and constantly re- 

 quired the use of laxative medicine ; the discharge of urine was natural ; 

 the catamenia had hitherto been regular in their appearance, but in 

 small quantity. She complained of no pain or other uneasiness, except 

 a peculiar feeling in the top of the head across the bregma, which she 

 called "funny." 



For five weeks after her arrival the torpid state and indifference to 

 surrounding objects continued gradually to become worse, and the 

 difficulty of awakening her daily increased ; till at length, about the 

 8th or 10th of June, it was found impossible to rouse her up at all by 



