New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-15
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF the UNITED STATES
efFiclAl JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
DEATH IN LIFE.
The Case Of Susan GOdscy.

From the st. Louis Republican.
The committee of doctors appointed by
the Medical Society to examine into the case
of Susan G. Godsey, Of Tennessee, have not
yet concluded their investigations, put Will
present written report to the society at
its next meeting, which will doubtless be a
model Of lucid Saxon. Pending the uiil-
natum of the doctors, which there is really
some public curiosity to hear, the phenOm-
sna connected with this most curious case
must, we presume, remain unexplained.
To an unscentific mind it would appear
to be one of catelepsy with regular recur-
ring spasms. but there are some features in
the case not usual in the disease mentioned.
In addition to what has before been pub
Eshed. the following may be of some inter
eat: The girl, it is stated, has been in sub
stantially the same condition as ut present
for twenty-Onc years, but it is necessary to
visit Ter room and watch her attentively
for some time in order to fully comprehend
the extraordinary character as we'll as the
still more extraordinary procession of her
symptoms.
Let u.s. for instance visit her in the morn
ing, or rather just before dawn. We enter
the room and see on the bed the form of the
wonderful sleeper. The face is little
sallOW in hue but not at all emaciated, and
10 pleasing in its expressions; rather broad,
with an oval brow, Of an expanse indicating
intellect above the ordinary. She is per
fectly quiet, and as we approached the bed
NO more movement is apparent than ii a
corpse lay before us, except that there is Il
-xlight tremor where her hands are lying,
which constantly shake in nervous agitl-
ton. The mouth is closed, and the respira-
ton through the nOstrils is so faint and low
- to be almost imperceptible.
This death-like calm is only broken by
the spasms mentioned in our previous no.
r l.. l. ,t..V.xr as
generally of six and seven minutes. AS the
time arrives when the sun rises above the
horizon, the phenomena changes. The
spasms, or violent lateral motion OF the
head, become more frequent, and finally,
strange to say, ut the eract moment of dawn
she begins to awake. Respiration becomes
audible and very quick this lasts nearly
minute she then swallows once or twice,
and becomes conscious.
When awake there is nothing Outre in her
manners or appearance. She is extremely
weak, and complains constantly of pain in
the head. She ia supported by pillows, eats
and drinks slowly, exhibiting strong par
tiality for water, and talks in low tone.
She remains awake generally eight or nine
minutes, and then falls back into the COMA
tOse condition, in which the only evidences
Of life are the recurring spasms and the
stertuOus breaths which occur just after the
agitation of the head, and in the numerical
order given before. After becoming con-
sciOus in the morning she awakes once
every hour until about noon, then not again
until three, and then not again until sunset,
according to true time.
At nine o'clock at night she awakes again,
and between nine and ten she is seized with
more violent spasms, which last nearly an
hour, then sleeps again from twelve to
three, when she awakes, and then does not
awake again until dawn. This order is
never varied, nor do any of her symptoms
change, but from year to year are repeated
daily with the regularity of clOckwOrk.
Her general health is good, and her limbs,
while very weak, are yet not emaciated.
Her hands are very small and delicately
formed, and the right one is principally
afflicted by the nervous tremor before men-
toned, and is almost useless.
There were several gentlemen in the room
last evening when she awoke, and the
scene was one of curious interest. Her sis
ter and mother had supper ready, and the
awakening scene was precisely AS above in
dicated. As she became conscious, there
was gathering of the brow, and an ex-
preston of pain in the face. In reply to a
question by a physician present, she said
her hair panied her badly on the right side,
and that her throat was sore. She exhib
tied no curiosity as to those present. She
appeared extremely wearied, and, after q
few sups of coffee and mouthful or two of
bread, she fell back on the pillow. Her
head and shoulders again shook violently in
spasm, and she became the same placid
sleeper as before.
Within the last few days she has been
examined by various physicians besides the
members of the committee, but none of the
doctors have come to any conclusion, ex-
cept to confess that the case was one of the
most extraordinary character. The physi-
clan who visited her tried the test of pain
with great severity. He pushed needle
nearly its full length into her leg and also
into her arm, and rather savagely pOked
his finger III her eyes, always a decidedly
unpleasant operation, to say the least Of it.
In neither instance did the sleeper manifest
the smallest recognition Of his action. Nor
vas there even a twitching of a nerve.