Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-11-07
From lie Paris. Vest 7enm., Sentine
a STRANGE LADY.

4
Eight miles from Hickman, ol
the Hickman and Troy read, ther
is a young lady strangely affected
She is the daughter of u widow wo
man, Mrs. Godsey This lady ha
been sleeping twelve years. Iyis
tied her some three weeks ago, ar
rived there at four P. NJ, when sht
happened to be awake-she wakes
up twice in the forenoon, twice III
the afternoons and once at night, al
regular hours. The following con.
yersation | had with her: E'How
do you feel this evening" Every
Sick she said. '.How long have
you been sick!" 81 do not. know,
my memory is SO very poor -
rot recollect anything but a short
while" "What ails you, mani?
81 have the headache very bad, sir"
:: -::What part of your head achcs??"
."All through it. Her mother then
asked her a few questions, and soon
she fell asleep, and cot,ld not be
walked or made to notice anything.
| laid her hands about in different
positions and moved her head
about; they remained. just as l
placed them. Her fingers and the
muscles of her arms were in a con-
tinual state OF fquivering or jerking.
After lying quiet some twenty
minutes, she suddenly began to
shake very hard-more severely
than any one with aguc; her whcle
body rolled back 10 about. four
inches as rapidly as any one can
move his hand to and fro in that
distance; ii jerked her SO. severely
it almost frightened me. This
continued about one minute; she
then lay quiet about another 20
when suddenly her head
raised perpendicular TO her body.
which lay Hat r,i the bed. AID she
gave some distressing groans. |
begantoholtI her head, but her mo-
ther said not. In thirty seconds she
fell back acaili-this was q cramp-
ing spell-all the time fast asleep.
These spells ae very frequent but
not regular; were much worsc du-
'ing the first three or four years
IF her afiiictiOn. Just at 10 o.
lock, at night, she begins to shake
very severely and continues one
four; at eleven she wakes up few
minutes; her waking spells last
about fifteen minutes. and at some
If these times something must be
'eady fer her to eat and given her
she never asks for it nor does she
ak at all, unless spoken to-. She Z
las been thus afflicted, with but
title change, for twelve years; was
irst taken with the chills at the
lee Of ten, while a little girl, aud
con- fell into her .pesent state;
ince then she has grown taller,
llamher mother, who is an ordina-
" sized woman. Her finger and
oe, nails have never grown any,
ire Just even with the flesh, and
lavc never been trimmed; her hair
SEA fine beautiful dark chesnut,
nd grows very fast; her features,
inc and regular; her skin fair, her
ace has no appearance of disease.
We're she sitting up and nicely at
ired she might be called beautiful.
rs to the cause of her strange afflic- :
ion, no one knows. Some physi-
'ians, among whom are Drs. But.
er and Hawkins, say tie wrong
medicines were given her to cure
he chills. Those shaking and
spells. although they re-
;emble death, probably keep her I.
live, for this is the only exercise
he gets, as she is unable to sit up.
twould pay any physician seeking
knowledge to visit her. 4