IN A STATE OF SLEEP NEARLY SIX WEEKS. 253 



blister applied, which remained nineteen hours, and produced 

 an abundant issue, yet without exciting the smallest symptom 

 of uneasiness in the patient. Sinapisms were also applied to 

 her feet, and her legs were moved from hot water into cold, 

 and vice versa, without any appearance of sensation. In this 

 state she remained, without any apparent alteration, till Tues- 

 day the 8th day of August, precisely six weeks from the time 

 when she was first seized with her lethargy, and without ever 

 appearing to be awake, except, as mentioned, on the afternoon of 

 Friday the 30th of June. During the whole of this period, her 

 colour was generally that of health ; but her complexion rather 

 more delicate than usual, and occasionally changing, sometimes 

 to paleness, and at other times to a feverish flush. The heat 

 of her body was natural ; but, when lifted out of bed, she ge- 

 nerally became remarkably cold. The state of her pulse was 

 not regularly marked ; but, during the first two weeks, it was 

 generally at 50 ; during the third and fourth week, about 60 ; 

 and, on the day before her recovery, at 70 or 72 ; whether its 

 increase was gradual was not ascertained. She continued, du- 

 ring the whole period, to breathe in the same soft and almost 

 imperceptible manner as at first ; but was observed occasional- 

 ly, during the night time, to draw her breath more strongly, 

 like a person who had fallen asleep* She discovered no symp- 

 toms of hearing, till about four days before her recovery, when, 

 upon being requested, (as she had often been before, without 

 effect), to give a sign if she heard what was said to her, she 

 made a slight motion with her left hand, but soon ceased again 

 to shew any sense of hearing. On Tuesday forenoon, the day 

 of her recovery, she shewed evident signs of hearing ; and by 

 moving her left hand, intimated her assent or dissent in a to- 

 lerably intelligent manner ; yet, in the afternoon of the same 

 day, she seemed to have again entirely lost all sense of hear- 

 ing. 



