The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-10-20
Twcnty Years Asleep.
Further Particulars Of the Case OF
Susan GodseY-The ST. Louis doctors
Continue their Investt cations.

"CEaty ONhHS
Further Particulars OF the Case OF
Susan GodseY-The ST. Louis DoSt0rs
Continue their Investtgouons.
IFrom the St. Louis Republican, Oct. 121
The committee of doctors appointed by |
the Medical society to examine into the case /
of Susan d. Godsey, of Tennessee, have not |
yet concluded their Investigations, bnt will
present written report to the society at
its next meeting, which will doubtless be a
model of lucid Saxon. Pending the ultima
tum of the doctors, which there is really
some public curiosity to hear. the pheDome-
ma connected with this most curious case
must, we presume, remain unexplained 10
an unscientific mind it would appear to be
one of cataIepsy with regular recurring
spasms, but there some features 10 the
case not usual in the disease mentioned. In
addition to what has before been published,
the following may be of some interest. The
girl. it is stated. has been in substantially
the same condition as at present tor II years.
but it is necessary to visit her room and
watch her attentively for some time, in order
to fully comprehend the extraordinary pro-
cession Of her symptoms. Let us, for IN
| stance, visit her IL the morning, or rather
| inst before dawn We enter the room and
see on the bed the form of the wonderful
sleeper. The face is a little sallow in hue
7
| its expression rather broad with an cval
/ brow of an expanse indicating Intellect above
the ordinary. She is perfectly quiet. and as
we approach the bed no more movement is
| apparent than if corpFe lay before US. ex-
! cent that there is a slight tremur where her
hands are lying, which constantly shake in
! nervous agitation. The mouth is closed and
the respiration through the nostris is so
faint ami low as to be almost i'm perceptibie.
This death-iike calm is only broken by the
spasms men ntioLed in our previous notice Of
the case, which occur at intervals generally
OF six and seven minutes. AS the time ar
rivts when the sun rises above the horizon
the phenomena change. The spasms, or
violent lateral motion of the head, become
more frequent, aud finally, strange to say,
at the exact moment of the Dawn she begins
to awake. Respiration becomes audible and
very quick ; this lasts nearly minute she
then swallows once or twice and becomes
unconscious. When awake there is nothing
0utre in her manners or appearance. She is
| extremely weak and complains constantly oi
pain in the head She is supported by pill
lows, eats and drinks slowly, exhibiting q
strong partiality for water, and talks in a
low, soft tone. She remains awake gener.
; ally eight or nine minutes, and then falls
back into the camatose condition, in which
the only evidences of life are the recurring
spasms and the stertous breaths which occur
just after the agitation of the head, and il
the numerical order given before. After be
! coming conscious in the morning. she awake
once eyerv hour until about noon, and no
again until 8, and then not again unit
sunset, according to true time. At O'Clock
at night she awakes again. and between
. and 10 she is seized with more violen
spasms which last nearly an hour, and ther
sleeps again from II to 3, when she awakes
and then does not awake again until dawn
this order is never varied. nor do any Of he
symptoms change, but from year to year AT
repeated daily with the regularity of clock
: work. Her general health is good. and he
limbs, while very weak, are yet not emscia
ted. Her hands are very small and delicate
!" ly formed. aud the right one is priucipal
= afflicted by the nervous tremor before men
:, toned, and almost useless.
> There were several gentlemen in the roor
- last evening when she awoke, and the seen
= was one of curious interest. Her sister an
= mother had supper ready, and the awaker
= ing scene was precisely as above indicated
As she became conscious there was a gath
: efing Of the brow and an expression Of pal
in the face. In reply to question by
physician present, she said her hair paine
her badly on the right side and that ke
throat was sore. She exhibited no cnriosit
as to those present. She appeared extreme
y ly wearied. aud after few sups Of c,.ffee an
,r mouthfuI or two of bread she fell back 0
,s the pillow. Her head and shoulders agai
shook violently in spasms, and she becan
the same placid sleeper as before.
Is Within the last few days she has been G:
r. ls amined by various physiciaus besides II
u members of the committee, but none of II
= doctors have come to any conclusion. excel
&c to confess that the case was one of the no
extraordinary character. The physician wi
II visited her tried the test of pain with gre
'ue 'u severity. He pushed needle nearly its fu
oi length into her leg and also into her arm
e: and rather savagely poked his finger int
j" her eyes. always decidedly unpleasant q
= Grafton, to say the least Of it. In Meth
~ instance did the sleeper manifest the smalle
recognition of his action. Nor was the
VI even a twitchiDg of nerve.