Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-05-13
A Singular Case.

We find in The Boston Medical and Surgical
Journal, the following account of lhe anomalous
case of Miss Sarah Burbeck of Salem, who is rep
resented not TO have slept for a moment, nor been
free from pain, for fifteen years. Her body and
limbs are in perpetual moiion-and almost all the
Joints in her body have been dislocated thousands
of times. "Wh-n | entered her room, she was
sitting up in her bed and her righ, arm, and fingers
were twisting about in every direction presently
she leaned forward and Threw herself back against
the headboarl, as if determined to break her head
The headboard was within an inch or two of the
wall, and though large, well stuffed pillow was
places! against it, when her head struck the pillow
il was with such force that the beadsiead struck
the wall, causing the whole house to tremble.--
During the ten minutes that sat there, she was
thrown back in that manner over 80 times. Il ap-
peared 10 me that each blow of her head against
the pillow, board and wall, was sufficient TO stun
4 common person, YET she hardly appeared 10 no.
tice il. During the intervals between these spasms
her right arm, hands and fingers were twisting
about, and her right shoulder and under jaw were
drawn out of joint and in continually. the bones
raiiling and grinding together with noise that
could be heard in other rooms, as | was told by
several present. Being deaf | could not hear
them, but by placing hand on her cheek and
the other on her shoulder | could feel the grind
ing and cracking as The muscles kept them in con-
slant notion Sometimes her jaws locked
several hours and even days; and at one time, il
] remember right, they were locked twenty FIVE
days, when all the nourishment she took was thro'
the aperture caused by the loss of tooth Her
Jaws have been 60 often 6islocaied, she can eat
nothing except when the contraction of the mus
ces throws her lee ia together, and then her tongue
is often caught between her teeth and severely
bitten She takes no nourishmeni except in a
liquid state, and that with the greatest difficulty,
as it causes strangulaion, spasms and severe dis
treSs. These spasms sometimes throw her from
her bed TO the Ilasieiing over head and sometimes
the floor, and any attempt to hold her increases
her agony, Her hand is sometimes thrown up in.
10 her face with such force as to bruise her face
and break the skin, and one Of her eyes has thus
been destroyed. While conrersing with her, her
Jaw was thrown out of joint, and drawn in most
shocking manner, and she was thrown back with
such force as caused the whole house to shake.
and the moment the spasm ceased, she finished
her sentence, commencing at the very word where
HE fit had interrupted her, and with so Calm a
voice. that asked her, in astonshment, il she felt
no pain when thus attacked She said the pain
was SO excrucialing. if she woud give way to her
feelings, her screams might be heard half a mile
uut as that would only distress others, she had
learned TO be quiet. Her father is over 80 years
Of age. and had stroke Of The palsy, from which
he had partially recovered when saw him. Her
icrng child until prevented by sickness within a
year and half At the time Of my visit she was
confined in the same room in very feeble state
Miss Daley, of Alcxandna, Va. has died
ION bic in he zoo, by Cat.