Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-01
A LONG FAST.
A Elri Who Has Eatsa llsihlas Slaes
Christmas,
And I. a tivias hsmmy-NI the
Functions Of Life Being Stopped
But Respiration and the Action
Of the Heart.
MEDICAL TREATMENT uxAyAIlIHe.

LousvnLR, Kr., February IA very
interesting case to the medical world 10 re-
ported at 6s2 East Walnut street, near Clay.
In little back room In the second story of
an old frame rookery that Sands on this
site there lives young girl In stats hat
can scarcely, on general principles, b oAll'
ed living. She has been in comatoss con.
dition for long time, but Il was only ~.
Gently that the attention Of physicians has
been attracted to her. Her case has slicltsd
q great deal Of attention, and has become .
topic Of discussion in medical circles. She
was discussed In some Of the colleges yes.
terday, and her malady II pronounced irrs-
medisble and unaccountsbls. Gases some.
what like IL have been reported from sfar.
but this Is the first that has been known To-
cally. =,
The girl Is about IS years old. 10 feeble
minded and has been what Is termed eood
looking, though every trace OF such lines
have been blotted out by her malsdy; Her
duy she has neither eaten, drunk nor per-
formed any Of the dsily functions q ne.
ture.. Both her own mother, who has been
a constant attendant on her, and the other
inmates Of the house, attest tho
Truth sfthe statement.
All the organs OF nature, excepting the
heart and lungs, seem TO have become clog.
Red, and even. these two perform their du.
ties sluggishly. ChristmAs day, her mother
states, she ate Q large dinner and displayed
an unusually large sppetite. Since her intan-
CIV she has been subject 10 oostiveness. Her
spell came on during sleep, for she retired
In her usual exuberance OF animal spirits.
The next morning. when her mother went
TO wake her, she found her on her back
with her eyelids open and tho balls rolled
back, showing the whites In CLASSY death.
like stare. Her frat impression was that
she was In q spasm, but all the modes OF
resort in such cases failed TO bring her TO
life. She was perfectly Timber and sense.
less. her limbs lying In any position In
which they might be placed. Her skin
was of the normal temperature, but dry -
parchment and without feeling. Her
teeth were clenched and could not be pried
apart Every endsavor was used 70 arouse
her, but oil
PrsveA HrsitiesA
Her pulse was beating feebly, and her
breast rose and fell In soft respiration. bhs
lay In the same position and In the same
condition for several weeks. Her widowed
mother kent close watch over the wreck
OF her only support, for the girl had, prior
TO her sickness, been working at . WOODEN
mill, and noticed from day 70 day the grad.
ual wasting away OF her body I'LL 10 became
in the course OF her starvation deprived si
oil fat and muscles-a mere skeleton. Tbs
poor woman, together With her neighbors,
nursed the girl % best they could, looking
and hoping every day 10 see her breathe
her 1st. They have been kept 10 long sus'
pense, for the girl atill ekes out her miser.
able existence, and there 10 no telling how
long she may last. As she never exerta
herself, even so much a. 10 change her po'
sition In bed, the drain upon her systcm ID
very small, being merely that necessary "a
keep the heart beating. Yesterday the
mother Of the girl visited one Of the
Medical Colleges
and asked the students 10 do something TOT
her. Last night q number Of them visited
the house and applied an electric battery.
Every cell was put on before the slightest
twitching was noticed In the muscles that
have become like marble. When the full
power OF the electrical current was brought
TO bear upon her, her syeballs rolled about
In that state OF absolute astonishment one
would imagine 70 possess Q person just
raised from the grave. Her mouth wsi
side her, but only 10 be dashed into tbs
face Of the nearest student, TO his great die
comfiture. A reporter called 70 See her last
night, hardly expecting 70 find ths true
case worse than the report that reached hI'
ear. In almost every particular che 70
sembles m Egyptian mummy. except thsl
she bresthss. She has neither the psllid
hue OF dead person nor that peculiar
color Of one in healthy life. bat ID Of dseE
saffron, like one In the yellow jaundice A
tsrdsy, and there 10 no means OF judging
how Tong she may live 10 her trance lik'
state.