Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-09-29


people who are fat enough, or small
enough, to be exhibited. are unable 10
maintain themselves in any Of the usual
ways. Passing by the fat woman and
the Liliputian king, we were induced, a
lew days ago, to visit the Sleeping Man,
Cornelius Vromau, who has only been
awake three days in five years. The
following are the facts OF the case, as
narrated by his relations and attested
by other and most respectable persons:
He was born IN Schoharie county,
New York, and was a iarm-laborer ill
his Ihirty-second year, when he fell in
to The strange malady under which he
now labours. He complained at first,
OF "A kind Of stupof, and remained in Il
state OF practical insensibility for twen-
ty.lour hours. This yielded TO medical
treatment but, short time after, he
fell asleep, and has remaied asleep,
with very short and rare intervals, ever
since. The shortest time Ii. hi . remained
awake during tins period, is twenty
minutes the longest, three hours. The
longest time he has slept without waking
is eighteen months the shortest twelve
weeks. When he awakes, he immedi-
a,ely asks for TODD, eats voracously, and
talks oi the occurrences which happen
ed Just before he sunk into his inexplc-
able oblivion. When informed that he
has slept for several months, he turns
away with an al OF disgust, DIS though
offended. That the oblivion is complete,
is shown by the fact that, on one occa-
sion, owing to the carelessness Of his
attendant, lie was severely burned, but
exhibiting no sign OF pain. He is fed,
morning and evening, uron bread and
milk, and his mouth being forced open
, with some difficulty and filed with lood
which he then swallows. There is a
movement OF the system, on an average,
once in twelve days. Ills weight before
he became thus affected was abL ut Il
hundred and lorty pounds; he now
weighs ninety pounds, His pulse 10
generally slow and feeble but some.
| times, without any visible cause. IT be-
comes rapid. HE skin is harsh to the
touch, and the temperature Of his body
perceptbiy lover than is natural. Ev
cry thing that could be thought of for
/ hls resusclia,ipn / as b, en- done hut with
out the slightest effect. He has been
blIstcred, bled, burned kept without
food for five days at time, soused in
cold water. scaled with warm, and has
slept soundIy through it all. When he
ascertaiucd.
HIS appearance is merely that of Il
pale, lonc-hr arGCd man in Il deep sleep.
HIS body Is eXlreMeIy emaciatcd. but
his face not remarkably so. His breath
ing is not audible nor does he ever
move, grcan or sigh in lns sleep. He
is. in fact, dead man but his soul
in some way. seems entangIed III the
mortal COLL" and cannot get away
1t was supposed by the crowd Of physi-
clans who surrounded this man on the
evening OF our visit, that no similar case
had occurred. We have since been i'll
formed however, that Il woman stlll
Iives-near Southampton in England
who has slept for twenty-one years,
with single wakeiul interval of three
weeks. The exhibit on OF Vroman in
New York may ch nee to lead TO his
recovery but in case he should never
recover, a careful past mortem cxamina-
ton may throw light upon the mystery
Of slcep-may lead to the certain know
ledge Of its nature and cause. The man
is exhibited in one OF the lower rooms OF
the National Academy building
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