San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-10-05
STRUCK DUMB WITH FEAR.
A Woman Loses Her Voice for Two Weeks-"on'
derfai story Of Its Recovery
Philadelphia Record.


the Twenty.third Ward, few rods
from the Bustleton school house. has
suddenly recovered her speech having
been sbruck dumb by fright for two
weeks. Mrs. Cooper was abe yester-
day to relate. tie particulars OF the
strange occurrence and her impressions
during the time she emained speech
less.
She says that on Friday, tho LIST day
of September, man in terrible COZ
dition of drunkenness and suffering
from violent mania potu, ran into her
house followed by a mob OF men ana
boys. She is subject to fits and hys-
terra, and the drunken man frightened
her SO badly that she fell down IN
spasm, and thinks that some person in
the excitement of the chase stepped on
her neck. At any rate, when she was
restored to consciousness she was nor
rifed to find that she could not speak
word-in fact that she had been stricken
as dumb as if her tongue had been torn
from her mouth. After the first day
all of the nervousness consequent upon
the spasm disappeared, and she was
quite as we'll as usual and able to attend
to her usual duties about the house, but
every effort she made to speak caused
violent pains in her throat and about
the roots of her tongue. She finally
came to the conclusion that she would
never be able to talk again, although
Dr.. Byers, O prominent Physician OF
Bustletown was attending her, and told
her that he hoped her affection would
be but temporary. Day after day
passed, however, and, although she
could hear perfectly well, and seemed
to be if possible in better health than
usual, every effort to articulate syllable
was in vain. At times she would find
herself invo!untarily trying to speak,
but only jumbled cultural sound fol-
lowed. Whenever she made an attemp.
to utter word or make sound, violent
pains in her lungs and throat and in tire
back of the neck followed, until finally
she determined to make no more efforts.
A great many curious people came 10
see her, and some persons supposed
that she was putting it all on" She
at last refused to see anyone, and settled
down to the bitter conclusion that she
would never recover her lost voice, and
even began to learn the deaf and dumb
alphabet in order to convey her wishes
to her sister, who lived with her. In
the meantime she used such signs as
suggested themselves to her. DR.. By
ers came to see her occasionally and
gave her a prescription, which did not
at first seem to relieve her, but she
thinks now that it eased the pain in her
throat. She describes her efforts to
speak, as like person sick with pleu-
risy when he desires to take long
breath. At night she would be aroused
by pains in her throat, due to involun-
tarily efforts to speak while she was
dreaming. He sister thus describes
what happened when Mrs. Cooper first
spoke:
"My sister had gone to bed at about
8 o'clock in the evening and at 10
o'clock I went up stairs myself. We
sleep together, and when first went
into the room there was no light, and I
could hear my sister breathing heavily,
as if in nightmare. I did not at once
disturb her but removed my clothing
1 then aroused my sister in order to
break what thought w J bad dream
and she awoke with q start. I said:
"Mary what's the matter?" I could not
see much in the room at the time, and
was frightened almost out of my senses
by hearing some one exclaim in deep
voice, You get in bed I thought it
was man under the bed, and ran down
stairs screaming 'thievesP What 1
heard did not sound like my sisters
voice, and, having become accustomed
to consider her dumb, 1 was terribly
frightened. In a moment, however, I
saw my sisters head at the stair door
and she was trying to speak. Finally,
with an effort she said: 1t was 1. 1
can talk now 1 could hardly believe
it."
At this point Mrs. Cooper took up