The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-06-14
TURNING TO STONE.


The fortnightly meeting of the Psyche
logical Society was held recently at the hall,
Chandos street, London, Mr.. Sergeant Cox
in the chair. The subject of debate was
"Psychology of Wit and Humor," by Prof
G. j. Plumtree.
The professor, before beginning the dis
cussion, said when down at Swindon three
weeks ago he was asked to visit lady
whose case was worthy of considerations
He went with the uncle of the lady and
visited her. He found the lady to be about
thirty-f years of age, q widow, and with
twoi children. The lady was lying on a
sofa in the corner Of the room. The lower
part of her body was as white and hard as
marble. When she was removed from Bath
to Swindon, box had to be made in which
the lower part Of her body was placed.
II appeared that in 1863 her hus 1and
died, and one day afterward, when she was
coming down stairs with her two children
in her arms, q drum was sounded, and the
start shocked her so much that sho fell
down stairs, and from that date she gradu-
ally grew worse. She lost the senses of
sight and hearing, and afterward the power
of speech. She felt strange feeling cen
centrated in her cheeks, and it occurred to
her that she might be able to carry on con-
versation by others writing on her cheeks.
He found that the jaws had been locked
for two years, and no solid food had been
taken by her during that time. She was
fed on soups, milk, cream, etc. She deter
mined to test the scnsibilitics of the checks
and lips Her friends began. to write woI Us
with the finger on tho check, which she
perfectly understood. He found her eyes
closed, and when the uppes lip was forced
up the eyebals were turned upward the
same as person in mesmeric sleep. She
also was unable TO move her fingers. She
took the pencil in her mouth, and guiding
it with her hand, she wrote her reply.
There was one rcmar rkablo phenomenon,
that the patient could tell colors by touch.
He tested her by asking what was the color
OF his coat She put it to her check, and
alter few moments wrote on the slate that
1T was dark gray and small red spots She
also was able to tell the chief characters in
asphotograph q if the carte we're passed
acr9ss her lips and check IF she crasped
the hand OF stranger she could tell ut
any future time who it was. She also was
able to tell the melody sung or played to
her, if in the former the hand of the singer
was placed on the check of the lady, or in
the latter if her hand was placed on the
piano when the performer was executing.
She was quite resigned to her fate, and
seemed to be quite happy. IIo believed
that any lady or gentleman could sec this
lady if they visited her at her home at
Swindon.
The chairman said such facts were far
moro convincing than all the essays that
could be written on the subject. There
were produced two letters from the lady,
which were correctly spelled and in proper
sentences. She, in answer to a question,
thus describes how she distinguished colors:
"Black feels raised and harsh; white
smooth, cold and dead drab and gray a lit
tic raised smooth and cold red smooth and
very hot; blue smooth, but CRATES little
what mean by this it edges my teeth,
and all my nervcs-brown very grating and
tell them