The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-12-20

A very strange case Of little girl,
four years old, suffering from mar
colepsy, has been reported In this city.
This disease is very peculiar one, and
the patient is liable to 90 of into o
sound sleep ut any moment which may
cont niue for several hours, and at times,
even two or three days.
A lew weeks ago DR.. Robert II. Por-
ter was call TO see tho child in question
ut her home, on Portland avenue. She
iirst developed symptoms about n year
ago, ter an attack Of typhoid fever.
Inc first indication that the mother had
OF the trolble was the restlessness OF
The child, which would often have
nodding spells" These attacks of
sleep gradually increased in severity
md frequency until she used 10 have at
least twenty a day, and often ns many
az five or six ut the table while eating.
] lie attacks lasted for about q minute,
but they were very profound, and 1t was
impossible 10 wake her until the spell
passed away. When she recovered the
Oh Id Immediately resumed whatever she
had been doing, perfectly innocent OF
the intermsson that had taken place
When the att icks would come on she
would fall forward on her face, and "a
arge tumor was reduced on her lore
head from the frequent Commissions. A
few months ago she began to have
srasms in addition TO the narcolepsy,
and became very destructive, hav-
ing dies rc 10 Kill everything
she came In contact with, and it re-.
CURED great care TO restrain her.
The case is worry remarkable one,
from The development of the disease SO
early in life, as with children the usual
tendency in such cases is 10 idiocy in
stead OF insanity, as it Is ayery rare o.
currence for u child not over five years
10 become insane. The little girl was
put under treatment Tor the disease,
and Is now perfectly recovered, not
having had an attack Tor two weeks.
The freaks that have been produced in
eases Of this kind are very curious and
sometimes amusing. 4 coupleof years
ago here was man afflicted with
narcolepsy in the city, whose attacks of
sleep used 10 last from two TO three
days, and came On once or twice q
month. Some time ago well-known
sporting man, who was narcoleptic,
lived here and was a source Of much
curiosity. Occasionally he would as.
tonish his friends by going to sleep at
the bar while taking drink and re-
main perfectly unconscious for u few
moments, when he would wake up and
take his drink, perfectly unconscious OF
any interruption.
lie created considerable excitement
one night at gentleman's house by
falling sound asleep while just in the
act OF receiving an introduction to q
young lady, much TO her discontinue
and his friends amusement. II Is inn
possible to arouse the patient out Of
these sleeps, and the attacks arc liable
to come ON at any moment, no matter
how the victim may be situated This
mysterious and unaccountable disease
was first described ten years ago and
since then ii has received much atten-
ton from. neurologists, but its classifica.
ton has not yet been definitely settled.
From tho spasmodic character Of the
disease and its frequent association with
epilepsy, physicians believe it one OF
tho branches Of this disease, and ere
long, no doubt. 1t will DO given its ap-
propria,e position with tho epileptic
class. --L0aiSriHe C0urier-JouTna!.