Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-15
Strange Story Of a Pennsylvania Girl.

The Pittsburgh Dispatch OF Jan. 26
publishes the following remarkable
statement:
The patient in this case is a young
LADY, of fine form, and great beauty of
face, whose home is in the vicinity of
G~reensburg. Her story is of such an
extraordinary character as to appear
incredible, were it not vouched for by
professional gentlemen OF unlmpeacha-
BILE veracity. DR.. Cote, of Penn Ave
nue., above Ninth Street, was the first
physician here whose attention was di-
rected to the case. For ob7ions rea-
sons the name of the young lady can
no be mentioned. She is, however,
described as being about % years of
age, the picture of health, and weighing
about $50 pounds. The exceptional
character of this veritable description
will be appreciated when it has been
said that for three months before the
time that an opportunity was presented
to describe her she had not eaten a NOR
sci of food. The startling abstinence
seemed to have no external effect. The
girls complexion was bright and clear,
and her splendid physique carried with
it the irresistible impression that no
insidious disease could have a Judgment
in that fair tenement. But the fair *
ternal was a terrible illusion. She was
so weak that it was q work Of the most
painful character for her to drag her
weary limbs after her. Her story was
calculated to intensity, rather than to
clear away, the mystery of her rare
affliction. She did not have the slight
est idea of a probable cause for her
suffering. She was not sick. She had
neither pains nor aches. She did act
suffer from hunger. She had not the
slightest desire to eat, The cessation
of appetite had been sudden and abso-
lutte. No premonitory symptoms of dis
ease were manifested before the strange
ailment seized her. 1t vas in July last
that she passed a whole day without
eating. The day before her appetite,
80 far as she could remember, was as
usual. She did not eat for a week, and
her family became alarmed.
All known specifics to provoke an
appetite were tried without effect, and
so the second week passed. In this
early stage of the disease the young
lady lost little of her vitality, and this
fact seemed to reasSur6 her anxious
friends. But when the weeks extended
into months, and there was no appar-
ent change in the young girls condi-
ton, except that she daily grew weaker,
the most serious approximations were
aroused. As may well be conceived,
things were not permitted to get to this
pass without directing the attention Of
q physician to the case. Without III
tending to cast the slightest reflection
upon the skill of the practitioner who up
to that time had charge of the case,
it may be said that i was quite beyond
MS grasp. Experiments, almost with
out number, were unavallingly rcsorted
to, and IS a sort Of forlorn hope eiec-
tricity was called into service. While
all these experiments were useless for
good, they were productive Of much
suffering to the despairing patient. FL
naliy she refused To longer subject her
self to torture, and resigned herself to
her fate.
A change of scene was recommended,
and a short trip to the home of a rela-
tiva at Irwin Station was projected
Thus it was that she came to pass
through this city. She was on ner way
home again when her relative took her
to see DR.. Cote. Her experience with
physicians had aroused a feeling OF dis
trust and aversion Of the profession.
any she was very loath to again put
herself under treatment. At that time
it was in September last-she had
not eaten any thing but a few morseis o.
candy, since the July before. Her case
excited the Doctors greatest interest
He at once made a diagnosis, and after
,,,,,,h, ,Nnrr,a,i,n inI1oaI has n auTpf
to remain in the City, under his care
for a few weeAs, so that he might have
an opportunity of fairly beginning the
work of restoration. This she agreed
to do, and that was the last the physi
clan ever saw Of her. When he calleC
at the house where she had been stop
ping, on the following day, the family
had gone.
Reasoning from the examination tina
he had time to make, DIR. Cote has ar
rived at the conclusion that the seat o
the girls trouble is in her sys
tenn. The diagnosis was sufficient,
thorough to convince him OF that
though the particular cause of the de
rangement of the nerves he did no
have an opportunity to determine. lie
existence for SO long a period, desplt
the suspension of the vital funcJlons O
her nature, was of course a matter de
manding careful investigation, and tn
sudden departure CT the girl was
source of painful disappointment to tn
physician. The popular impression
that a person, so situated, existed upo
his or her fatty tissue, the Doctor sal
was a mistaken one. Life was preserH
ed by absorption through the cellula
tissues.
1t has transpired that after leavin
this city the girl put herself in care q
DIR. Martin, of Philadelphia, butitis sal
that there has been little improvement
in her condition. Now, here is the MOS
astounding fact in the whole case: tn
girl is still alive, and her appetite ha
not been restored. Her external az
pearance has undergone little percept
BILE change, but she has become SO Wea
n CT fo ba .op6pod tn hnr hnuGp-