The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-12-08
A GIRLS LONG FAST,
Mollie Biokett Goes Fifty Two
Days Without Food.
Death of n scholar Who was Addicted
With st. vitus' Dance at
Convent.

CINCINNATI, O., Nov. 28.-A case Of fast.
ing, pronounced by the physicians one Of the
most remarkable OH record, was developed
last Sunday morning when Miss Molile Bick.
ett, daughter OF the lato John Beckett, who
will be well remembered as tho agent Of Arch.
bishop Purcell, died at her homo, No. 4O2
urtstrcet. Since the 1st Of last October Miss
B1ckett received absolutely no nourishment
Of any kind, and sho wasted away to a nero
shadow and was finally relieved by death,
which had been long expected and IN her case
was doubtless welcome. To tho six prominent
physicians in attendance upon tho young lady
the exact character of tho affliction was q great
mystory. However it is known to bo tho result
Of chorea, or st. Vitus' dance, contracted by
Miss Beckett whilo sho was q pupil ut the
Brown County convent about three years
ago. Ono Of tho most important and inter.
esting features Of tho case is tho fact that
Mollie Bickott is tho first ono Of tho largo
number of sisters and scholars who wero at
tackled by st. Vitus' dance simultaneously at
tho Brown County convent to die. Nows-
paper readers will not fail to recall the time
with tho dreadful st. Vitus dance,
and tho institution was closed on
that account for q considerable length
OF time. Tho affair created tho
greatest CONSERVATION. Tho press not only
IN this city but throughout the country
teemed with accounts Of it, Tho disease,
after showing itself III ono Of tho schools,
rapidly spread until in a few days tho rest,
and also tho sisters, had tho samo symptoms.
The patients presented singular sight.
Tho symptoms arc almost too we'll known
for description here. Some Of those attacked
ut the commencement wero worse than
other. Soon after the school closed aud tho
girls returned to their homes they as we'll rs
tho sisters began to recover But Mollio
Bickctt, whose tenacity Of life, under tho cir
cunistanccs, was SO strange and remarkable,
novor got we'll, and finally died, after long
suffering. Miss Beckett was scarcely sixteen
years of ago at tho timo Of her dcnse. Prior
to her illness she was q pretty, plump and
we'll developed girl. She was n pronounced
brunette and quito pretty. Returning homo
from the convent when taken i'll, Mollio re-
ccive4 tho best of medical treatment and at
tho end OF nine months sho was almost woll
Eighteen months ago her father, who had a
great deal of trouble in tho Archbishop
Purcell case, died Of disease of tho
brain, after u protracted sickness Mr..
Bicketts death seemed TO have Il great effect
upon his daughter, for she soon became mo-
roso and despondont, and the symptoms of
tho old complaint gradually returned. Her
mother noticed that she ato very littlo and
consulted physician. Tho latter thought
nothing Of tho matter, romarking to Mrs.
Bickott that Mollio probably helped herself
to what sho wanted whilo preparing tho
meals. Tho girl generally assisted in tho
cooking and other kitchen work. Later on.
however, 1t was found beyond oil doubt that
Mollie took scarcely any nourishment. She
could not give any particular reason except
that it hurt her to cat, and, moreover,
she had no appetite. AS her condition
continued tho symptoms Of tho st.
Vitus' dance became moro noticeable The
physicians called into tho case were Drs. Car
son, Reamy, DeCourcy, Allon, Dawson and
Schmuck. Tho pationt for n long time pre-
vious to October took no nourishment DO
; ;or .,, -" c""a:sinnal niece of cracker and
~" sips OF "ine or peer. nne gi..~ cs"no+,y
cmaciated, and 1t was evident that sho could
not last much longer. 1t was impossible to
get anything to her stomach. Tho nour-
| ishlnent taken was stopped above tho stom.
ach, and was at once emitted. Braycly she
boro her sufferings, and hor sorrowing mother,
brothors and sisters watched her fad-
ing form until tho last spark of life had fled.
Since tho 1st Of October Miss Beckett received
absolutely no nourishment whatever, and the
most remarkable feature of tho case Is that
sho lived SO long. The puzzled doctors ex-
pected death long before Tho girl had
| wasted away to more flesh and bono and she
was sight to look at. Her emaciatan was
SO extreme that her spinal column could
easily be felt through tho abdomen One of
the ii sona:Hs Physicians, called upon by a
| reporter, said the case was one Of the most
remarkable In medical history. He
was then looking over his books to
ASCERTAIN, II possible similar case.
Miss Bicketts case is moro remarkable
than that Of DR.. Tanner" said tho doctor.
"for sho lived tiftytwo days with absolutely
no nourishment ut all 1t was impossible to
adpinister anything The convulsions,
winch tho symptoms Of ut. Vitus' dance in
clude, kept up on tho patient until October"
Whom asked as to his opinion of the case tho
doctor said no hardly know what to soy, so
strange were tho circumstances He and
two othor physicians attributed Miss
Bickett's condition to tho historical effect
| upon tho mind.