HIBEENATION, ETC., IN ANIMALS. 55 



work he is told to do, but he must be told over again every day ; lor example, if desired 

 to briug the cows from pasture, he will do so, but will not milk them until told to, nor 

 will he turn thein afield again without being desired. He does not seem to know what 

 to do next, even though the same routine is carried out every day. An exception, how- 

 ever, must be made in one respect. He does not require to be told when dinner or tea 

 time arrives, and is blessed with an excellent appetite. Jack is always ready for his food, 

 and is not particular aboixt quality, so that quantity is there. He will talk quite ration- 

 ^ally on any subject when spoken to, and recollects distinctly most of the incidents of his 

 childhood. He will hold animated confab with the cows, dogs, trees, wheelbarrow, or 

 any other object which happens to be in his way, and may be noticed sometimes lectur- 

 ing a tree for some time, breaking out occasionally into uproarious fits of laughter. 



"When visiting in 1890, Dr. C. K. Clarke, Superintendent of the Asylum for Insane in 

 Kingston, he happened to make reference to a peculiar individual known to a few as "the 

 sleeping woman." 



It at once occurred to me that her case would prove a study of great value if it could 

 be carried out, and I suggested to Ur. Clarke that he endeavour to supplement such facts 

 as we could learn and such observations as we were able to make by a joint visit to the 

 subject of this peculiar condition by a careful study of the case. He succeeded much 

 beyond my expectations in doing this, and has published the results of his investigations 

 in the American Journal of Insanity for October, 1891, under the title, " A Case of Le- 

 thargy," and from that paper I extract the principal facts in regard to this case which is 

 so remarkable that it may be well to state them somewhat fully. 



Several seasons ago I heard that there was a patient who had been in a trance for 

 years, and from time to time word was brought to the effect that the condition still per- 

 sisted, and that all eiforts to rouse the woman were without result. 



A little more ihan a year ago I obtained permission to visit the patient, bi;t was not 

 allowed to make any extended examination. 



On entering the room I found a thin, old woman in bed, apparently last asleep. Her 

 respirations were irregular and varied much during the visit (lasting almost half an hour), 

 running all the way from 24 to 44 per minute. The pulse quickened in a marked way 

 during my stay, and ran up from about 80 to 120. The woman had her eyes half closed, 

 and to all appearances w^as oblivious to everything that was going on. 



The nurse gave many details regarding the patient and made a number of statements, 

 some of which I shall repeat in a few^ miniites. Many of these statements we were able 

 to verify at a subsequent period ; others were rindoubtedly inaccurate. Before going into 

 details regarding the every-day life of this case of lethargy, as we saw it, perhaps it 

 would be well to give a brief outline of the history of the patient. Unfortunately it has 

 not been found possible to get as many important facts as could be desired in connection 

 with this history, biit great care has been taken to eliminate all doubtful points. The 

 patient was born in 1820 or 1821, and when she came under observation was almost 

 sixty-nine years of age. The neurotic history was pronounced on " both sides of the 

 house " ; evidence going to show that her father had suffered from melancholia. A relia- 

 ble person states that the father died from " softening of the brain " — possibly general 

 paresis. The patient's mother was subject (a member of the family states) to attacks of 

 partial loss of reason, which could only be cured by change of air and surroundings. It 



