New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-19

House.
4 from the ST. Louis Republican.
The St. Louis Medical Society on Saturday
night appointed committee, composed OF
DE-. Gill, DR.. Edgar, DR.. Johnston, DR.. Nc
Theeters and DIR. RumbOld. to make IN
quiries respecting the case Of Susan c. God
sew. who has attained no small celebrity as
athe sleeping beauty" having been, as is
alleged, some twenty-One years III state OF
uncOnsciOusness, with the exception OF III
tervals of few minutes daily. She was
brought to this city last week, and is stay
ing, or rather sleeping, at the house OF Mrs;
Davis, on Walnut street, between Fifth and
Sixth. The fact that the Medical Society
has thought it worth while to examine into
the case removes the suspicion o0anything
like humbug, and it so becomes really sub
ioct for a very interesting inquiry.
The committee called about ten O'Clock
A. NJ at the house mentioned, and soon Al
ter their arrival the girl awOke to conscious
ness for few minutes, and then fell back
into her state Of insensiDility and sleep.
The physicians found that her pulse beat at
about l0S or lo9 per minute and her tenn
perature was from SO to 81. inquiries were
made as to her diet, her conversations and
her past history. After making their OBJ
eervatiOns and taking few notes, the com
mittee retired. Another visit was made at
three o'clock in the afternoon, and another
at ten in the evening. The case was stated
to be one which had never been paralleled
in their experience. The report which they
win make next Saturday will no doubt be
interesting. The following particulars were
ascertained of the girls history:
Susan G.. Godsey, the subject OF the in
quiry, is twenty-nine years of age, and was
born seven miles west of Trenton, Gibson
county, Tennessee, where her parents kept
a small farm. Her family removed to Obion
county, where she was a sprightly, healthy
little girl, and she went with them. After
this she was occasionally taken Ill with
chills and fever, but was partially relieved
by the use Of quinine. On the first of An
gust, 1919, when she was nearly eight years
OF age, she fell into torpid, insensible, be-
nnmbed condition, in which, as 1t Is vera
ciously stated she has remained during the
last twenty-One years, varied only by very
singular and unparalleled series of phenom-
ena, which goes on with the accuracy Of
clock work. Every morning precisely at
the first dawning of light, she is found
awake
This state of wakefulness, however, does
not ordinarily last for more than from four
to eight minutes. Very rarely 1t has been
ten minutes. DuHng its continuance she
eats, and drinks, and talks. After having
been awake for the time stated, the patient
is then seized with kind of CONFUSION,
her head moves from one side of the pillow
to the other, in what is called " a lateral
motion" These motions are very rapid
and appear entirely uncomfortable. She
then bends forward her head, and kind of
hiccupping is heard in her throat. and she
finally relapses into her former torpid con
alitiOn; her eyes are closed, her lips are
firmly compressed, and no motion is visible
except constant agitation OF the hands,
which move about perpetually. Tins pro
cess is repeated every time she wakes, and
also Mt intervals when asleep.
Among the curious facts mentioned III
connection with this case is that OF the
numerical regularity of the symptoms which
preeede the awakening. In a few minutes
after she is seized with the commissions and
the lateral motion, as described, she has
twelve hiccups, then adding one each time
until she has sixteen. This usually takes
half an hour. The order of number is then
reversed. After having had CONFUSION,
followed by sixteen hiccups, the number is
gradually lessened until eleven is reached,
and then she awal1es. From six to twelve
in the morning she wakes once every hour.
In the afternoon, however, she sleeps until
three O'Clock, and then at shutdown. During
the night she awakes at nine and at eleven
O'Clock. The next time is.three III the morn
ing.
1t will thus be seen thatSthis lady, who is
the subject of some strange nervous de
rangement, is going through series of con-
yulsions, IN the midst of which she wakes
at regular hours and after peculiar sound
has been emitted. When asleep she is alike
insensble to the effects OF both sound and
pain.
During the last five or six years Miss God
sew has been subject to neuralgia pains in
the head and spine, and in almost constant
pain when awake to feel it. Her mind is
perfectly rational while she is awake. and
She readily distinguishes her mother and
the friends who attend on her. vi course
she has had no opportunity of charging her
IDEAS and her mind is in almost the same
state with regard to knowledge as when
she was eight years of age. She is unable
TO stand or walk, but can speak in low
tone OF voice.
She says she is never sleepy, and never
hungry. Small portions of well cooked food
are supplied to her daily, but she seldom
shows preference as to what she eats.
She drinks tea and coffee sometimes, and
very frequently asks for water. She
breathes i'll very low and subdued manner.
Personally she has very frank intelligent
features, black hair, small mouth, and dark
complexion. She has for years been at
tended by Dr. Glover and DIR. Rhea. This
is the first time she has been so far away
from home, having been brought for the
purpose of undergoing medical inspection.
The patient has been examined by numerous
eminent physicians, and her symptoms are
considered to be the result of an abnormal
condition of the nervous system, unparal-
Ieled in the history of medical science.
Halls journal says: ''f a man can sleep
has good appetite, with no u, un-
reminders after meals, the BODILY
labits being regular every day, he had bet
- let himself aione whether he is as big