The National Register.
London, England, 1815-01-08 00:00:00

0

to take site's medicine as was applicable to her case. To this letter
hs received an answer from Mgr:. Usiderwood, giving a full descrip-
tion elf the symptoms of Joanna's disease, from March last down to
the latest period, and concluding with an expression of the determi-
nation of Mrs. Southcott not to take medicine unless especially di-
rected so to do by the Lord.
Mr. Want. after this, was anxious that the wretehed woman should
submit to an examination, so that the precast, state of her disease
might be ascertained. To this, however, neither she nor her friends
would accede. She declared, that "if she was not pregnant with a
human being, she was satisfied there was some living creature within
Ler ;" whilst the latter, still professing their belief in the corning of
Shiloh, were shocked at such a proposition! Reference was tlaenliad
to a prophesy of Joanna's, pehltsbed in ; r'tn!, in which :she had de
dined that the mother of Shiloh, previous to Isis birth, would be as
dead thr four days, 81111 at the end of that period would revive and be
delivered! This they now supposed would be the case, and white
they contemplated her temporary dissolytion, they looked with con-
fidence for her resuscitation at the time predicted. She, in her lucid
intervals, dictated a will, in %bleb she professed her conviction, that
she had either been visited by a good or ail spirit. In the hope she
might become re-animate, which she was satisfied would be the ease
if she had been visited by the Lord, she desired she might be pre-
served wit!. "every tender care, for four days after dissolution, the
fourth being that on which under Providence, she expected she
would be restored to life and be deliverk If that period expired
without any symptoms of reanimation, she directed that her body
might be submitted to skilful operators" Soon after she made her
pleasure known, the symptoms of digitise became more virulent, and
she breathed her last ! This excited no painful sensations in the bo-
soms of her friends. They regarded her as merely "gene fora while."
and proceeded to wrap her body in warm blankets, to place bottles
of hot water to her feet, and by keeping the room in a state of
warmth, endeavour to preserve the vital spark! After tlsis eveut, the
crowd daily assembled in Manchester street. opposite the depository
of the dead body, was immense; and the enquiries respecting her
resuscitation were constant and anxious. To all enquiries, the an-
swers given by the chosen few were conselitory. Saturday morning
the crowd again assembled early, and the most zealons pronounced
their positive conviction of her reanimation during the day. The
prescribed period of rota days and nights elapsed, and so fir was the
body Irvin exhibiting appearances of a temporary suspension of
mation,thatit began to display a discoloration which at once brought
Lome to eonvictinn the fact, that the wretched Joanna was but mor-
tal. Preparations were made to dissect her remains. A summons
was issued to the surgeons, who had expressed a desire to be present,
and at two o'cloek fifteen gentlemen assembled, including Messrs.
Reece, Want, Clark, Sims, Adams, Taunton, Clifton, Wetherell,
Cook, Phillips, and five others; and besides these profOssional gen-
tlemen, Parson Tour, Colonel. Harwood, and one or two other of
Joanna's followers. Ann Underwood was in the anti-room and
seemed deeply affected at the disappointment of all' her celestial

hopes. .
Mr. Reece and Mr. Want proeeeded to perform their disgusting
task. The result of this examination were these--First, that their
was no Shiloh I next that there was no thaw-net' the tocrine organs.
as imagined by Dr. Sim ; thirdly, that•the uterus, instead of being
enlarged, was remarkably reduced. The intestines were nmeh dis-
tended by flatulency, and hence that appearance which led to false
conclusions. The °walnut was loaded with fat, and a very consi-
derable quantity of calculi were found in the gall bladder. Reporta
Lad been circulated as to a former pregnancy, but from all that ap-
peared, there was no finoidation for such an assertion. Another re-
port existed, that her death had been occasioned by poison ; and
the Coroner had expressed his determination to Ammon a jury to
enquire. To prevent this, the medical gentlemen 'present signed a
certificate, stating that her dissolution was produced by tutorial
causes. The followers, who waited the event, sculked of in great
tribulation, and were happy to escape the populace, who were out-
rageous towards any whom they suspected of adhering to the doc-
trines of the prophetess. This excusable indienation had nearly
proved fatal to an old lady, who rapped at Joanna's door to make
enquiries respecting her reanimation. No sooner was she suspected
to be a disciple, than she WAN assailed with mud and filth. By tlo
desire of Joanna some short time since, previous to her death, all
the presents which were sent fnr the use of Shiloh and his mother,
• crib, &c. are to be restored to the owners.
The following passage is extracted from an absurd sort of official
note, dated—
" Manchester street, Thursday, Dec. 29. 1814.
" Mrs. Sontlicott had been confined to her bed ten weeks, last
Sunday. 111 the first three %%Cilia she tout very little, almost no solid