The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-11-01
THE BEAUTIFUL INVALID.

stopping over mere q rev Gays, anu
hearing of a singularly afflicted young
lady of the vicinity, l determined to
pay her visit to see and to learn from
observation and conversation some
thing of her strange affliction. Ac-
cordingly i visited the family one day
this week, and must say am glad
that / did so. Her parents are from
North Carolina, have lived in West
Tennessee for many years, and have
but three surviving children, all
grown, and yet with "the old folks
at home" constituting an interesting
family.
Miss Clara Bush, the afflicted
daughter, was born in Gibson county,
Tenn, where her father now resides,
October 81, 1853, and will therefore
be twenty-four years old on next Sun.
day, the 21st inst. She was spright-
ly, lively, laughing girl, and enjoyed
excellent health until the age of nine
years, when she became afflicted with
lingering disease, the nature of
which her physicians seemed TO have
been ignorant. The first symptoms
were difficulty in breathing, pains in
her left side, armsand legs, low spirits,
indIsposition to 60 TO school, dull and
lifeIess in her manner; so much so
that her parents called in physician
who administered medicine, which,
after a time, seemed to give relief.
This was but temporary, for it was
not long until another physician was
bcalled, who gave the patient some
very potent dose, the name and ma
ture of which her parents never knew.
This seemed to have an instant dele
terious effect upon her, causing a
swelling and severe pains in
her chest and bowels, and deathly
sickness in the head and stomach. She
now took her bed and has kept it UNI
til the present time, period Of tbir-
teen years. After being confined to
her bed, she was so severely afflicted
I that she cried almost constantly in
her wakeful hours for four months,
and could not be quieted. narcotics and
anodynes having not the least effect.
All this time she slept only about two
hours day, and ate scarcely any
thing, the juice of musk and water
melons, apples, peaches, &C., being
her chief sustenance. She drank no
water during the time. Although so
sorely afflicted and confined to her
bed all the while, she has grown to
womanhood, having a medium height,
but being very spare and weighing
only 70 or so pounds. Her hair is of
a very dark brown color, luxurient
and glossy. and nearly three feet in
length. Her eyes are of the same
color, her face full, we'll formed and
very fair, her voice sweet and gentle,
and her disposition quite amiable.
She is indeed beautiful woman and
wins the sympathy and affection of
all who visit her.
After she became confirmed in
yalid, all the time confined to her
couch, she somewhat regained her
appetite and ate three times day,
taking a little chicken, light~bread,
vegetables, coffee and milk. She
grew in the meantime to her present
size by the time she had attained the
age of twenty. In her twenty>frst
year her stomach grew weaker and
more delicate, refusing to perform its
usual functions, and her diet was con-
sequently very much diminished, be-
ing a little light bread, butter and
syrup, twice day. She took milk
also, but not until four hours after
each meal. For the last two years
she has taken but one meal per day,
about sunset, consisting of the pulp
of ripe fruit, as the apple, peach,
pear, DC, and scarcely anything else,
not even milk, tea or coffee. She has
not taken drink of water for two
years! Nor any other fluid what
ever, except the juice of the apple
and other fruits; and, strange to say,
she is most of the time thirsty, but
grows less SO as she abstains from its
use as beverage. Her reason for
not drinking it is, because it remains
in her stomach for two or three days,
producing acute pain there and in
the side.
Altogether this is very remarka-
BILE case. one that puzzles the medical
faculty SO far as they have examined
it. More than Il dozen physicians,
some of them eminent in their profes-
sion, have visited and investigated
the condition and symptoms of the
patient. but so far all their efforts
have proved unavaiIing, and the pa
tient fingers on without hope of re-
covery. Notwithstanding her aff1ic-
tions, her head and brain are well de-
yeloped. In fact, her brain and the
organs of the head seem to be perfect
ly sound and in the discharge of their
functions; and, what is remarkable
there appears to be no sympathy be-
tween the brain and stomach.
Although she had advanced but lit
tie in her studies at the time her af-
Fiction came upon her, having never
studied English grammar, rhetoric,
logic, botany or music, still she has
learned much, and manifests no small
degree of literary and artistic taste,
and is indeed imbued with spirit of
esthetics. She has accomplished
much in this line already, notwith-
standing her want of instruction and
the sore affliction visited upon her,
having executed number of pictures
in pencil, crayon and water col6rs, some
of which have been awarded prem
iunls at various Fairs. She has exc.
cuted also in superior style piece of
seedwork, a basket'of flowers, consist
ing of various flowers. bird and but
terfy, thirty-nine different kinds OF