The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-30
A STRANGE RECOVERY.
Hearing Suddenly Restored to q Lady
Ninety.three Years of Age During a
Thunder Storm. ..

Hearing Suddenly Restored to u Lady
Thunder Storm. -.. d..
A strange cure of an infrmity which
had afflicted for many years lady of ad-
vanced age, effected, it is supposed, by
the action of electricity, but without
scientific or medical Intervention by ply
sicians, took place in Hackensack, N. j.
The person in whom this affection re-
sided, and who was so suddenly and
agreeably affected, is lady named Mrs.
Quaokenbush, living on State street.
She is now ninety-two years and six
months old. She WAS born in Pomp,
ton, N. j., where she lived for many
years, and in her youth and middle age
was O woman of peculiar comeliness.
Old age has not destroyed all the former
lines Of grace in her features, and it has
spared to her many of her faculties.
About twenty years ago, her eyes, which
had been growing dim, suddenly re-
ceived new keenness, and she has since
been able to read the newspapers with
out spectacles. About the time that her
sight improved, her hearing became so
badly impaired that she could only hear
the loudest sounds, and conversation
could only be maintained with her in ex-
trernely high and strong tones. On the
evening Of Sunday, April 20, o shower
came up, and at about ten o'clock it
passed over Hackensack. The flashes of
lightning were very vivid, and the thun-
der had been heavy. Mrs. Quacken-
bush, who was somewhat nervous, was
sitting up in her bedroom. An unusu-
ally sharp flash of lightning caused her
to start up quickly from her chair. The
thunder followed, and with the crash
Mrs. Quackenbush felt q swapping in her
ears, and as the reverberations Of the
thunder rolled away she was surprised
and delighted to find that she could
hear the ticking of the clock in her
room, and soon after the noise Of the
family moving about the house and in
conversations Since that moment she
has been able to converse easily with her
friends, and to enjoy the conversation of
others when carried on in o distinct man
ner and not to far away from her. She
has never received medical attendance
with view of recovering her hearing,
as it was supposed the failing was nat
ural decline, suspension OF faculty
which could scarcely have been expected
to remain entirely unimpaired in a per-
son OF such advanced years. Although
no medical opinion has been sought, it is
believed among physicians who have
heard of the case that the cure may have
been wrought under peculiarly favorable
conditions of the atmosphere, probably
by electrical action. Mrs. Quacken-
bush has been congratulated by many of
her friends, to whom she relates with
pardonable glee the wonderful recovery
which she has experienced. Her sister,
who died in her eighty-eighth year, was
in most respects as remarkable a woman
as herself, retaining completely all her
ordinary faculties until the day of her
death, a few years ago. Mrs. Quackon-
bush's days Of usefulness are not over,
for she has been for many years, and
still continues to be, industrious with
her needle, and has in her extreme old
age constructed with rare neaness and
taste great number of bed quilts, in
which she takes pride as the work of
hands which have been busy for nearly
century, and which may reasonably be
expected to serve this venerable dame to
the completion of full hundred years.
-NeW York Times.