Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-07-25
A Weeks Trance.

Wttk's lTuufs
A case of suspended animation, which
In many respects is one Of the most no.
markable known to science, has oc'
Cured in this city within the past ter
days. A young lady, Miss Annie -,
whose full name, at the request of hci
parents, is withheld, wentA into a franc,
on the 10Th inst, and did not regain
consciousness until last Sunday ut sever
o'clock p. ma week afterward. Al
that time she awoke, and, recognizing
the ringing of the bells of neighbo,ine
church, remarked that il was Sunday
and since then she has been gradually
improving.
The particulars of the case are highly
interesting. Miss Annie is an attractive
young lady, about twenty years old, re.
siding on Lower Madison street, and
with the exception of a severe attack o.
st. Vitus' dance about two or three
years since, has always been ordinarily
healthy. About two weeks ago, how.
ever, she began to complain of neural
gic troubles, accompanied by cerebra
and spinal irritation. She was quite
unwell until the following Sunday, when
about seven p. m, she subsidized into {
trance from which she has not yet re
covered. There was, however, nothing
alarming about her condition, and to al
appearances she was simply in deer
slumber. Her breathing, temperature
and pulsation maintained their norma
condition, and at times, without appear
ing ut all conscious, she was induced I,
take nourishment. Her family were, o.
course, very much alarmed at her pre-
ternatural situation, and summoned DR.
X. Ii. Porter, who endeavored TO arous,
her, but without success. Ordinar,
stimulants failing, he rcsorted to the use
OF an electric battery, but met with nc
better success. For several days longer
she remained i'm this somnambulistit
state, and awoke to consciousness foi
the first time Sunday.
Even then, however, she did not recog.
nize anyone, and, without regaining the
use of her faculties, she relapsed again
into her seeming slumber, her eyes be
ing closed and her breathing regular
and peaceful. The following day she
rallied little, and became acutcly sen.
sitivc to noises and touch, and recog.
nized the family, but was unable to say
more than yes or mo-"
In company with DIR. Porter, a Coz
rier-JourndiiSt paid visit TO his interest
sng patient yesterday evening. Through.
out the day she had manifested con.
seriousness, TO limited extent, shrink.
ing from noise or contact, and evincino
q morbid dread even of the pillows on
her bed. At the time of the visit she was
lying in an apparently pleasant slumber
her head turned to one side, her eve.
closed, and half smile just parting hei
lips. When the physician spoke she
reused up II little, and, by slow degrees
for the first time regained the full pos
session of her faculties. Upon his in,
quiry as to whether she felt any pain,
she nodded her head, and after little
coaXing said that il was in her forehead
After saying this, she relapsed into in.
sensibilty, but was easily aroused again
and answered few questions with some
effort, but intelligibly. The mental pro
cesses evidently cost her considerable
effort, but she unquestionably was fully
conscious. The presence of stranger
excited her curiosity, and she was mani
festly puzzled over his identity. Hei
condition was extremely favorable, and
she will most likely be fully recovered
by the end of the week.
In the opinion of DIR. Porter, who has
made nervous diseases n speciality, the
case is most remarkable and interest.
ing one. The majority of frances re.
suit from some injury, generally of the
head, but this can not be traced to any
such cause. In the course of short
conversation on this class of diseases, Inc
remarked that he had met with two
other queer cases, though none so in
tercsting. One was boy who formerly
resided on Ninth street near Broadway,
who was subject to occasional frances,
lasting for three days and nights at a
time. During these he was entirely un.
conscious, and when he recovered had
not the slightest recollection of what
had occurred. He recovered pcrma.
nently, and for two years has not had
an attack of his old malady. The other
case was more remarkable, being one OF
complete double consciousness in n
young lady. When i'm one of her frances
she was able at times to go about her
usual household duties, and even con-
verse intelligibly, but was unable to
remember anything that had occurred
when in her normal condition. More
singular still. when in another trance
she recalled what had happened in pre-
vious ones, though still ignorant OF
what transpired at other times. Under
IA treatment of tonics and stimulants she
was also restored to perfect health
Louisville COurier-JouFndl.