The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-31
a strange story.
YOUNG GIRL, TITS ALLEGED, LIVES Six
aMosTHy WITHOUT roop-CURT0us CTRCrM-

fStsa' a Strange story. 5lui f;sit
YOUNG GIRL, TITS ALLEGED, LIVES SIX
aMosTHs WITHOUT TooD-CURI0us c1RCcA-
STANCES OF THE CASE. ~ ~ -
[From the Pittsburgh (pa., Telegraph. January 28l
The patient in this case is O young lady
OF fine form and great beauty OF face, whose
home is in thetyicinity OF fGreensburg. Her
story Is OF such an extraordinary character
as to appear incredible were 1t not vouched
for by professional gentlemen Of unimpeach-
able reracity. DIR. Cote, 81 Penn avenue,
above Ninth street, was the first physician
here whose attention was directed to the
case. For obvious reasons the name
OF the young lady cannot be mentioned.
She Is, however, described as beng
about twenty-five years Of age, the picture
OF health, and weighing about $50 pounds.
The exceptional character OF this yerita-
BILE description will be appreciated when II
has been said that for three months before
the time that an opportunity was presented
to describe her she had not eaten motsel
OF food. This startling abstinence seemed
| to have no external effect. The girls COM
plexion was bright and clear, and ersplen-
did physique carried with 1t the Irresistible
impression that no insldious disease could
have q lodgment in that fair tenement. But
the fair external was terrible illusion. She
was go weak that it was 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 af1iction. She did not
have the slightest idea Of 4 probable cause
for her suffering. She was not sick. She
had neither pains nor aches. She did not
suffer from hunger. She had not the slight
est desire to eat. The cessation OF appetite
| had been sudden and absolute. No pre-
monitory symptoms Of disease were mani
tested before the strange ailment seized her.
1 It was in July last that she first passed q
whole day without eating. The day before
her appetite, so far as she could remember,
was as usual. She did not eat for week.
and her family became alarmed.
All known specifics to provoke an appe-
tite were tried without effect, and so these
cond week passed. In this early stage OF
the disease the young lady lost little OF her
vitality, and this factseemed to reassure her
anxious friends. But when the weeks ex-
tended into months, and there was no appa-
rent change in the young girls condition,
except that she daily grew weaker, the
most serious apprehensions were aroused.
AS may well be conceived, things were not
permitted to get to this pass without
the case. Extreme measures were not
resorted to until the girl had been d
month without eating. Without intending
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
it was quite beyond his grasp. Expert
ments, almost without number, were una
vailingly resorted to, and, rs q sort OF for
lorn hope, electricity was called into SER
vice. While all these experiments were
useless for good, they were productive OF
much suffering to the despairing patient.
Finally she refused to longer subject her.
self to torture, and resigned herself to her
fate.
A change Of scene was recommended and
short trip to the home Of relative at IT.
win station was projected. Thus it was
that she came to pass through this city.
She was on her way home again when her
relatives took her to see DR.. Cote. Her eX-
perience with physicians had aroused feel.
ing of distrust and aversion OF the profes-
sion, and she was very 10th to again put
herself under treatment. at that tlme-lt
was in September k3t-she had not eaten
anything but few -1norselS OF candy since
the July before. Her case excited the
Doctors greatest interest. He at once made
a diagnosis, and after much persuasion In
duced her to agree to remain in the city,
under his care, for few weeks, so that he
might have an opportunity OF fairly begin.
ming the work of restoration. This she
agreed to do, and that was the last the ply
sician ever saw Of her. When he called. at
the house where she had been stopping on
the following day the family had gone.
Reasoning from the examination that he
had time to make, DR.. Cote has arrived at
the conclusion that the seat OF the girls
trouble is in her nervous SYSTEM The
diagnosis was sufficiently thorough to
convince. him Of that, though the par
ticular cause OF the arrangement Of the
nerves he did not have an opportunity to
determine. Her existence for so long pc.
riod, despite the suspension OF the vital
! functions OF her nature, was Of course q
matter demanding careful investigation,
and the sudden departure OF the girl was
source Of painful disappointment to The
| physician. The popular impression that q
person so situated existed upon his or bel
fatty tissue, the Doctor said was mistaken
one. Life was preserved by absorption
through the cellular tissues. ~
It has transpired that after leaving this
city the girl put herself in care OF DR.. Mar
| tin, OF Philadelphia, but it is said that there
has been little improvement in her condi.
| tion. Now, here is the most astounding
! fact in the whole case: The girl is still alive,
and her appetite has not been restored
Her external appearance has undergone
little perceptible change, but she has be-
come so weak as to be confined to her house