Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-26
NAROOLEPSY.
A Guild who Drops InrO SottB1 Sleep
Wi.sOtI warming at Any Minute
Of the Day.

The Kansas City Times of Friday tells Of
very strange case of little girl, four years
old, suffering from uarcolepsy, which has
been reported in that city. This disease is
very p culiar one, and the patient is liable
TO go off into a sound sleep at any moment;
which may continue for several hours, and
at times even two or three days.
A few weeks ago DIR. Robert H. Porter
was called to zee the child in Question at her
home, on Portland avenue. She first devel-
oped symptoms about year ago, after an
attack of typhoid fever The first indication
her mother had of the trouble was the rest
lessness OF the child, which would often
have "n0dding spells" These attacks Of sleep
gradually increased in severity and fee
quency until che used TO have at least twenty
a day, and often as many as Eve or six at the
table while eating. These attacks only lasted
for about minute, but they were very pro-
found, and it was impossible TO wake her
until the spell passed away. When she re-
covered the child would Immediately resume
whatever she had been doing, perfectly inno-
cent of the intermission that had taken place
When the attacks would come on she would
fall forward on her face, and a large tumor
was produced on her forehead from the fire.
quent conf usions. A few months ago she
began to have spasms in addition TO the mar
colepsy, and became zefy destructive, having
a desire to kill everything she came in con.
tact with, and it required great care TO re.
strain her.
The case is a very remarkable one, from
the development of, the disease so early in
life, as with children the usual tendency in
such cases is TO idiocy instead of insanity, as
it Is very rare occurrence for child not
over five years to become insane. The little
girl was put under treatment for the disease,
and is now perfectly recovered, not having
had an attack for a couple of weeks. The
fraaEa that have bean nrO1nCad in 81
this Kind are very curious and sometimes
amusing. A couple of years sgo there was
4 man afflicted with narcolepsy in the city,
whose attacks of sleep used to last from two
to three days, and came on once or twice a
month. Some time ago a well-known sport
ing, man, who was uarcoleptic, lived here
and was source OF much curiosity. Occz-
sioually he would astonish his friends by
going to sleep at the bar while taking drink
and remain perfectly Unconscious for few
moments, when he would wake up and take
his drink, perfectly unconscious OF any in
terruption.
He created considerable excitement one
night at geutleman's house by falling
sound asleep while just in the act Of receive
ing introduction to young lady. much
to her discontinue and his friends smuse-
ment. II is Impossible to arouse the patient
out oil these sleeps, and the attacks are liable
10 come on at any moment, no matter how
the victim may be situated. This mysteri-
Gus and unaccouutable disease was first de-
!scribed ten ysars ago, and since then it has
received much attention from neurologists.
and It's classification has not vet been def.
niiely eettled. From the spasmodic cbarac-
ter of the disease and lis frequent associa-
ton with epilepsy, physicians believe il one
OF the branches of this disease, and ere long,
no doubt, It will be given its appropriate
position with the epilep,ic class.