The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-12-21
NarcOlepSyo

IL
four years old, suffering from mar
colepsy, has been reported in this oity.
This disease Is q very peculiar one, and
the patient Is liable to 90 off into a
sound sleep at any moment, which may
cont nue. for several hours, and aS tinSes.
even two or three days.
a few weeks ago DR.. Robert H. Por-
ter was call to see tho child in question
ut her home, on Portland avenue. She
hrst developed symptoms about year
ago, a ter an attack of typhoid fever.
The first indication that the mother had
OF the trouble was the restlessness of
the child, which would often have
'nodding spells" These attacks of
sleep gradually Increased In severity
and frequency until she used to have at
least twenty a day, and often as many
as five OK six at the table while eating.
The attacks lasted for about O. minute,
but they were very profound, and it was
impossible to wake her until the spell
passed away. When she recovered the
Oh Id immediately resumed whatever she
had been doing, perfectly innocent of
lhe INTERN ission that had taken place.
when the atticks would come on she
wou q fall forward on her face, and a
,arga tumor was reduced on her fore
neao from the frequent contusions. A
lew mont ns ago she began to have
and became very destructive. bay.
ing desire to kill everything
she came In contact with, and 1t re.
CURED great care TO restrain her.
Inc case Is very remarkable ono.
from he development of the disease so
! ear Y in life, as with children the usual
tendency in such cases is to idiocy In
stead OF insan ty. as 1t is very rare oo.
currence for child not over FIVE wears
to become insane. The little girl was
put under treatment ior the d sease.
and is now per- ectly recovered, not
hov ng had an attack for two weeks,
The freaks that have been produced in
cases Of this k nd are very cur ous and
sometimes amusing. A couple of year:
ago there was a man afflicted with
narcolepsy in the city, whose attacks OF
sleep used to last from two to three
days, and camo en- once or twice 8
month. Some time ago q we'l-knowu
sporting man. who was q narcoieptic,
lived here and was a source of much
cur:os.ty. Occasionally no would as.
tonish bis friends by going to sleep al
the bar while taking n drink and re-
main perfectly unconscious for q few
moments, when he would wake up and
take his drink, perfectly unconscious Of
any interruption.
Ho 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 friend's amusement. 1t Is i'm
possible to arouse the patient out OF
these sleeps. and the attacks are liable
to como on at any moment, no matter
how the victim may be situated. This
mysterious and unacconntahIe disease
was first described ten years ago and
since then it has received much atten-
tion from. neurologists, but It's olassifica-
ton has not yot been definitely settled.
From tho spasmodic character of the
disease and its frequent association with
epilepsy. physicians believe it one of
the branches of this disease, and ere
long, no doubt, It will be given it's ap-
propriate position with the epileptio
class. COurier-Jour7xII.