The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-03-01
A Reptile nj Home Ia u Young Lndy's
st0mach-It Comes Up Into Her
Throat.

4 Reptile nj Home la u Young l.Ndy's
StO,nnch-Ii Comes Up Into Her
Throat.
From the Nashville Banner
There IL II young lady living within
Il mile aud Il quarter of Christiana who
Is afflicted ms slngularly rs was the
celebrated Miss Godsey, the sleeping
Beauty For four years past she has
been suffering with violent iainting
spells, that come ON periodically, and
are produced by the strangling caused
by some kind of reptile which comes
up into her thront, She Is choked to
such IN extent that her muscles be-
come rigid her eXtremitics cold, the
pupils of her eyes dilated, and the skin
breaks on her hand and face, and sho
IL, In all other particulars, thoroughly
convulscd She Is only relieved by
the reptile itself being, rs II Is thought,
partially choked, Withdrawing itself
into the stomach.
The reptile has at various times been
seen by different persons. On one oc-
casion Methodist preacher was visit
ing ut the home Of her parents, when
she was seized with one Of the usual
attacks, and the parasitical OBJECT even
came out ofher mouth and was grasped
by the minister. Being of u very super
stiiious turn Of mind, he had conceived
the idea that its death was her death,
and refused TO have ii removed,
although it could at that time
have been easily accomplished.
The minister avowed that the reptile
felt rs cold and clammy rs any other
snake, but it offered no particular
resistance when he clutched ii with his
hand. When it made its appearance
outside of the mouth it curled its head
rather under the chin, but when let
loose Went Immediately down the
young lady's throat again. 1t fire.
quently comes up into the mouth, and
the young lady says that whenever it
does so it appears to lick the roof of her
mouth with lis horrible tongue, and
then recedes again.
A neighboring physician has been
attending her during the period of her
indisposition, and has been treating
her for tapc-worm believing that to
be the malady. The symptoms are,
however, entirely different from those
produced by tapc-worm. The girl still
continues robust, instead OF being
emaciatedf and the appetite, instead OF
being ravenous, is tickle, ut times talk
ing scarcely any food, while ut other
times she has very good appetite.
The strongest tape-Worm remedies
were used, but without any effect
whatever, and her physician, thinking
the case hopeless, gave il up Il short
time ago, when two others were called
in, who are using every means in their
power to effect Il cure, with what re-
suit remains TO be seen.
The first step to be taken was to dis
abuse her mind Of the superstitions
that had taken possession Of il in re-
gard to her afIliotlon. She has con-
scntcd at last to allow the monster to
be removed, possible, and destroyed,
as she is now convinced her life de-
ponds upon il. The physicians in at
tendance are anXiously awaiting an
opportunity to effect II removal, and
are Keeping Il constant watch for the
appearance of the reptile,
Alcohol has already been prepared
for its reception, so that, when 1t shall
be displaced, so strange Il phenomen
shall he preserved.
The reptile, SO far as has been ascer-
tanned, is about half an inch in dame
ter, Of dark color, with sort of hairy
coating, but no one is capable of jndg-
ing its length. 1t has never been SO
closely scrutenized by any one as to tell
whether it has eyes, but that, we be-
lieve, is hardly possible. All that is
yet known of it is that it frequently
comes up into the mouth, choking the
girl and throwing her into terrible con-
WILSON'S. 1t is attracting universal at
tention about Christiana, and all the
more so because her life has been seri-
ously threatened by the peculiar move.
ments of the reptile.