56 WESLEY MILLS ON 



has not been possible to get au accurate account of these attacks of " partial loss of reason." 

 The patient's early history is not well known, but it has been stated on good avithority 

 that she was " peculiar," and iu childhood complained of some head trouble that caused 

 her to keep her hair cropped short. She was married when very young, probably when 

 seventeen or eighteen years of age, as she was but twenty-one w^hen her third child was 

 born. Three years after the birth of her last child she was noticed to undergo a change 

 indisposition and acted "strangely." She could not be depended on, was untruthful 

 and whimsical, and worried a great deal about trifles. 



It is from a subsequent period (three years later) that the history of this case must bo 



dated. 



The sou, the youngest child, says : " The first recollection that I have of mother's 

 sickness was when I was six years old. My little sister had died and I was just recover- 

 in"- from an attack of scarlet fever when she was taken down. I think the attack was 

 caused by grief over sister's death, and over-exertion and want of rest. 1 do not 

 remember how long she was sick at that time, but I recollect that her left side was 

 completely paralyzed and that after a time a strong liniment was used, which partially 

 removed the paralysis, and when she went to the country for several weeks she came 



back well. 



The second time that she was taken sick was when I was twelve years old. She 

 felt poorly for some time and was then taken with fits, or convulsions, which lasted for I 

 think three days, having sometimes four or five in an hour. She was confined to her bed 

 for I think about two vears, iu very much the same condition as at present. I do not 

 know what curative means were employed, but she gradually improved a little, and was 

 again sent out into the country, where she seemed to recover. 



She enjoyed pretty good health for about six years, but had to be very careful ; she 

 never drank tea or coffee and always had to have the hair on the back of her head 



cut short. 



About this time her father was taken sick and we moved into his house to take care 

 of him. This seemed to affect mother, and after a short time she was again taken with 

 fits and soon went into her former condition. 



During this sickness, which lasted about two years, she used to sit up a great part of 

 the time and appeared to be perfectly conscious. She knew father and those who waited 

 on her, used to call me her boy, but appeared to be in a sort of a stupor most of the time. 

 She was again sent into the country and came back well. 



Then ensued a brief interval of about two years, during which time she was in fair 

 health, but was again taken down as before and was sick for nearly seven years. During 

 part of this time she was very low, and we watched day after day at her bedside expect- 

 ing each day would be the last ; but she again rallied and gradually her bodily strength 

 and reason returned to her. 



She was well for about five years, when she seemed to be taken with a low fever 

 and gradvially went down to her present condition." 



Such is the son's account of the case, and from it we learn that the history of nervous 

 trouble dates back at least forty years, and the inference is that the first indications of 

 lethargy then made their appearance. 



The details of the conditions that existed during the difierent attacks are almost 



