Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-10-07
MEDICAL MATTERS.


been free from pain. for 10 years. Her body and
limbs are In perpetual mntiOn-and almost all the
joints her body have been disocated thousands of
times:
When | entered her room, she was sitting IN in
bed, and her right arm, hand and fingers were twist
ing about In every direction; presently she leaned
forward and threw herself back AGAINST the head
board, as If determined to break her head. The
headbcard within an inch nr two Of the wall and
Though large, we-stuffed pillow placed against
It, wren her head struck the pillow it with such
force that the bedsiead struck the wall, causing the
whole house to tremble. During the ten minutes that
j sat there, she thrown back in that manner
thirty times. Ii appeared to me that each blow Of
her head against the pillow, b'ard and wall suf
hcIent TO stun common person, yet she hardly ap-
p9ared to notice IT,
During the intervals between these spasms, her
right arm, hands aud fingers twisting about and
her right shoulder and under jaw drawn out of
joint and in continually. tie bones rafting and grind
ng together with that could be heard in other
ruons. as was told by several present. Being deaf
could not hear heIn but by placing one hand on her
check and the other on her shoulder, could feel the
grinding and cracking the muscles kept them in
constant motion.
Sometimes her jaws locked several hours and
even days; and at one time. If remember right they
were locked twenty-five DAYS, when all the nourish-
nent she took was through aperture caused by the
loss Of tooth.
Her jaws have been - often dslocated she car
bite nothing except when the of the
cles throws Der teeth together, and then her tongue is
often caught between her teeth and severely bitten
She takes sourshment except ih liquid state. md
that with the greatest difficulty. as it causes strangu-
latiOn, Spasms and severe distress.
These spasmS sometimes throw her from her bed to
the paserug head and sometimes Dnio the floor,
and any attempt to hold her increases her agony.
Her hand is sometimes thrown up into her face with
such force as to brulse her face and break the skin,
and one of her eyes has thus been destroyed
While conversIng with her, her jaw thrown
out of joint aud drawn down in a most shocking man
ner. and she thrown back three times with such
force caused the whole house TO shake, and the
moment the spasm ceased she finished her sentence
commencing the very word where the fit had inter-
rupted her, and with calm voice that asked her,
in astonshmen if she felt no pain when thus attack
ed. She said the pain was so+excruciating if she
would give way TO her feelings, her screams might be
heard half mile; bat as that would only distress
others, she had learned to be quet.
Her father is over 90 years of age and had shock
of palsy, from which he had partially rec ,vered when
L saw him. Her mother is over 40. and has had the
of this suffering child until prevented by sickness
within year and half At the time of nv visit
she confined in the same room in very feeble
state.
RESPONSIBILITY To PAN.--Much is published respect
TIE power VI ule>UieflSin 10 render the human
system insensIble to pain, but this peculiarly does
not belong 10 mesmerism alone.
Hoist relates that a merchant Of Silesia, named
Lognig. was condemned under the government of the
Emperor Paul, 10 receive hundred and seventy-fve
blows Of the knOut At the same time another crimi-
nal received Thirty blows, and third ffjyj the for
Of whom Lognig die before him. and the
latter he saw kicked out Of the way. like llfeess
dog, after his punishment. At last Lognigs turn
came and from that moment he lost all consciousness
and sensation yet without falling into swoon. He
received the full tale of stripes; his nuslrs were
slit up and his forehead branded but of all this as he
afterwards declared. he felt nothing Helm reports
somewhat similar case A soldier received fifty
lashcS, which were administered by two corporals.-
During the punishment he gave 10 sign Of pain
neither groaned nor WINGED but bore the whole with
out a stir. When II was over, he said to the COM
handing officer, with a confused air. beg pardon
for falling asleep IN your presence.
Power OF IMAGtNATIoy.-The influence of tie i'm
aginatiOn on the nervous system has on sumo occa-
produced effects bordering ON state of insanity
The following Is case in point:
"A few years since, Elijah Barns, Of Pennsylvania;
killed rattlesnake IN his field, without any injury to
himself and Immediately after put on his sons waist
coat. both being of one color He returned TO his
house. ana atem ting to button his wastcoat, he
found to his establishment that it was ton SMALL His
he instantly conceived the idea that he had been Bit
ten Inperceptbly by the snake. and thus swollen
from IT'S poison. He grew suddenly very i'll, and took
10 Ills bed. The family, m great alarm aud cOniusi0n
summoned three physicians and the usual remedies
prescribed and administered. The patient, how
ever. grew worse and worse every minute, until at
length his home with his fathers wastcoat
dangling about him. The mystery was instantly un-
folded and the patient being relieved from his nagi-
harry apprehension, dismissed his physicians and was
restored 20 health"
SPECTRAL VIsIoN.-The Boston Medical Journal
saws, that gentleman in the city, known for his in
iegence and enterprise, for years past has been en-
tcrtained with singular spectral visitor whenever
he enters certain gate IN front of I relatives huuSe
on Washington street, bordering on ROxbury. He is
met BY large. full-faced, forid complexoned man.
dressed in a brJad-brlmned white hat Tnis occurs
at all hours Of the day. The spectre reccdes from
HIM he advances. and the front -four is lost in
air. He that he takes pleasure in looking
his intangible vision full in the eye-examines the
color aud cut of his garments and now regards him
old. familiar acquaintance. The gentleman is
not conscious of having defective vision. II is ev.
dent that a morbid action takes place in his BRAIN
through It's connection wih the optic Apprenticeship
that the spectre is reproduced by local existing
at the gate, which cannot yet be explained.
SINGULAR MALF0RMATioN Hart outside NJ Tie
Chsst.-Ihe Baltimore Sun contains the following
account OF the birth of living child, with its heat
outside OF the chest, which noticed in our Balt-
more letter yesterday. The heart is entirely outside
OF the body, and destitute of any percardum; thus
without its natural protection il is protruded
from the external surface of the chest which ut that
point bears mark resembling a ccatrix, as if the
flesh had been opened, the heart pulled out and the
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