The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-25
MISS FANCHER OF BROOKLYN
,gr PEOPLE or TTO CITIES TIMING
nv MIR UONDr RFUL POUERS.


,,s.,,,i,ai Giri" a Doctor wants 10 Iset.
Tho account published yesterday in THE
INSURANCE. condition In which Miss Mary
rsc.hcr has lain Tor thirteen years In her
.si,n homo excited universal interest.
nix anything else was talked about in the
E ,5.los Tina, n Young woman SHOULD rc-
...in FOR 80 long n time practically without
I'll without natural sleep. aud withal in pos
.,s.on ~ such astounding power ~ mental
.,or. seemed almost Incredible. Yet on the
.tor hand Il, seemed rs incredible that surh
'.,n ne the Rev Joseph r. Duryea. DR.. II. Fleet
s,c,r pr. Robert Ormiston. II. ". parkhurst.
"a Prof Charles T.. West should "" mis-
40, mr. deceived Dr. Duryea and Prof. West
s.ds,okcn with the utmos, freedom of phencm-
-, I'm, had como directly under their pcr-
.,,sl notice. The physicians. for professional
....ons had been more reticont yet were
.-,e,d that tlcrc wGs 40 deception on the purt
- Miss Fanch,r. Mr. rarkhurst who probably
hss a intimate knowledge OF the case as any
s,bsr person. and who has made repeated tests
:, Miss Tanshers powers. excused himself
,,,r, giving details OF the results. on the plea
,h., Miss Tanchcr had especially requested
en-, he would furnish nothing whatever for
,vbl,eston. Yet he was no loss positive than
me others that deception had not been prac-
dsed.
pr. ormiston. one OF Miss Fancher's physi-
elaus. said yesterday that the account
,ie.n by THE Sun WAS correct. save
IA one or two unimportant particulars
Ono Of these was the position OF Miss
T,pchers right arm. that for so long a time
vas risdly drawn up behind her head. 4 few
months ago tho arm became flexible, and she
has since had the use Of both tho arm and the
hand.
A rsporter for THE SuN called on several
New York physicians who are well known in
ne profession rs making speciality OF nervous
Diseases. some Of these physicians were not
A home others did not wish to express an
oplnion without further investigation. and
o,hers desired 20 reserve their opinions until
fhsy could express them in medical journals.
Dr. Meredith Clymer was lust leaving, his
hone md had hut little time to talk. am
sorry" he said. that | can't give you more
inie to-day. hrt Il IA simply imposslble have
mil thlnk j. is undoubtedly caso Of hystcro-
Atieusv and very interesting one too. |
r.lsr she has occasional fits OF ecstacy also.
1r.e rascs are very interesting. i can't eN-
t-,-- M opinion as 10 the marvellous things
'at she is said 10 do. | do know that in
Hkr cases the pn'icuis are very cunning
en- can deceive people wonderfully. ! have
rowa case ~ hysterln not far from Brooklyn.
The Girl will le rigid. and three men cannot
harl a ioiut IN her linus: yet. the moment she
% SABINE. ~la VIII Jump M and look around, but
wlra any one enters the room she lies rigid
again, The physicians whose names are con-
r-cfcl with the account IN The sun are. most
Il them. known 10 me and thry stand we'll in
The proies-iuu. Yet think they have not made
athorougl si,tiy of this peculiar disease. and
the hou"-tr-t men are liable 10 be Imposed upon
In such cases.
Dr. l. {, Serun. though n young man. hus
given much time 10 the study of nervous dis.
eases have heard Of Miss Fancher before
he said. II came TO my ears through friend.
that her clergyman had said that / had eNam-
blasting second sight. and the Ike. That is
unirue. ] never saw Miss fancher. was
her. That's not 50; You see how, easy i Is Ia
get untrue reports 81 these cases. ] can't give
you my medical opinion on this case. know
that these patients are somrtimes Nrry tricky.
had one IN the hospital VINO could not cat;
food was nauseating 10 her. She pietsnnet
MOTTO eat anything. But one cav gave h.r an
emeiic, and 40 came Il nice lot OF nuts that she
"Bu, Is / possible for any. enc to read the
copiens OF a sealed envelope ~
That does not require a medical opinion. It
matieroi common sense. never nave
ee.rd Of such case. You KNOW tners iss Dsen
given % any one wlu could read hlirrin'deu. ]
mink II II a Standing uri1' now. No ons mas
Dr.. William A. Hammond en-, in an immense
and ancient chair in his Library when the SvN
have rad the article on Ms Fanrhcr
published IN today sun he said; read IL
all through carefully
What do | think OF IT, Why. that IL is a
perfect humou.-a clear case Of deception,
But Doctor. there Is tho testimony Of such
men as tho Rev. lr. puryeH. the Rev DR. Van
Dyck. Prof; Ncs, Horny Parkhurst, thc astrou-
omer. and such Ihy.irians ~ prs. Spetr,
0rmiston. Kissam. and Mitchell"
don't mean O. shy that the writer ot TINT
article has not been told a.l that hr has written
or that the gentlemen named are not honest IN
thelr opinions. blt know TINT they are all
deeved-led "a hy this hystcricd girl"
But Just sce what tests she was subjected to-
Howcan there be- any deception -
-" Well. there 8. deception In il all" said tho
pof9g' vigorously. L. . al a humeuc. Why.
ms dear fellow. she isn't tho nrst gir that Inns
DECEIVED learned and good men. Thor" ire
l"Ny o.. ras = oi sinuRuy' hystcria. and Mss
tahlrrs ease il one. | hay.ni seen her,
;, many other similar cases that do not hesi-
Weiosieak strongly about H.
ihe Doctor. is that 81 Sarah Jacob. who was
sHoNn Ms y" Welsh Fasting Girl She WAS
,.fa on Nay Il. 1871 Her, parents wgre
hhl Intelligent. given 20 religious reading, and,
, /. sal' composed poetry. she was very
pTriy child. In February. 1851 sire COM
pan~l Of palm M the pit ~ her stomach. aud
slefward had spaSms ~ clearly hy-ierical
.aaueler ,Sne suffered much from fits and
AydmlnI,hel. on the 10Th oi October it was
satmniy declared that she had ceusrd 60 take
any iood whatever Then She began 20 attract
fa.g1toh, ana many visited her. The parents
Insisted that she ate nothing. that food WAS
,Yahsome % her. The vicar Wn- ~kep'ieal AMI
iol months argued with The girl and ner
flrrnis telling them that he know there was
prceluon. They streuuously denied II, and at
iirhRh NE vicar himself gave in. H. believed
~ we lastng, and published letter saving
nai ue Knew mat She had not taken single
.ihlh 81 ans Kind OF food whatever during SIN
zen months He invited medical men to eN-
. ssHla,ne mo her ca-e. The suggestion Of the
l'H W., noted upon by the heghbors. They
cppohw4 committee. which watched fourteen
s"S - ana Tile committee reported that II was a
ssnulhe case, De- deception. However. IN" re-
LIE OF this case show that tho watch was a
~ ,threirss one, the parents having access to
Topnln AL all times. Then Dr. Fowler noted
kaiscHh, lu3Eed into the case. and examined
n IN gll carefully. He found her pretty;
sS.aH enid. Win rosy checks and lips. and
rn ~. hrl condition was such as o. show the i'm
/ Rossiollliy OF her being the subject oi nm cX-
kaIqstlhg disn1-e, or even OF her having been in
| nsseohilnuuuSiy for nearly TWO years. as her
bb,Hg1ns asserted. DR.. Fowlers conclusion. MS
sro.isnrd IN the London Iirs, wis that II WIS
e1yp case OF smulutiye hy5terih IN young
ruNlng the propensity To deceive very
siedH sI developed, and Tint with It was assoc,
hstnaa9 Aoiy. the power or habit OF prolonged
er.,n,us5'" continued the Doctor. the case
frr,n4 50 much excitement thar corps Of
wsasa nurses from Guys Hospital. London.
uonoSSent % watch Sarah. Her parents sane
IN SgI me proceedings and the watch began ON
ia, 'h ol December. 1863. Gradually symp-
bear.PI Ie.t. and physical DISTURBANCE ap-
ma, rive days later She WAS looking pale
bInebaa1il ~, her eyes were sunkcn. hrr nose