Wichita eagle., 1889-08-16
SLEEPING WONDERS.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRIED TO OUT
DO RIP VAN WlNKLE.

A French Woman Who Slept . Year-A
Little German Girls Nap of Eight
Months-A Sunstroke Results in Marco
lepsy and Finally Brain Fever.
Dr. Blanchet, the great French specialist,
mentions three cases which be considered be-
yond the ordinary; complete account Of
these may be found in The Completes Rendus
Of 1864 In the first Of the cases mentioned
the patient was woman, then "a years of
age Her first sleep came on when she was
about IS and lasted forty-two days After
wards, for the next two years, she expert
enced no trouble in waking and sleeping az
ordinary FOLKS do until after narrow escape
from death in a runaway accident. After
her nerves became quiet she tucked the
drapery around her bed. closed her eyes and
quietly slumbered for the next two months.
For the next four years she exhibited no
abnormal traits Of mind or body. Every
function seemed active, and in no way did
she show the least trace Of a tendency toward
narcolepsy. All outside appearances were
delusiye, however, for after the regular
Easter feast on Easter Sunday. 1862, she fell
into profound slumber which nothing could
disturb In the least, and remained in that
condition almost year, or until the middle
of March, 1858. During these eleven and q
half months her complexion remained rudy
and healthy looking, notwithstanding the
fact that there was not single evacuation
OF the bowels during that period Physicians
came from far and near, every effort was
made to break the lethargy, but all attempts
were futile. Two false front teeth were re-
moved from the patient in order to supply
her with nourishment, which consisted Of
soups, milk, beef tea, etc. At last accounts
she was well, perfect in mind, with good
prospect Of making up for the year lost in
sleep.
SHE EXPECTED GRETCHEN.
In the year 1880 two wonderful cases of
persistent narcolepsy were reported. In the
last week in January in that year the daugh-
ter Of the mayor of Grambke, little village
near Bremen, Germany, failed to respond to
the morning call, notwithstanding vigorous
efforts on the part Of her sisters to arouse
her. at noon the father was informed, but
remarked that the child was tired, having
attended village gathering the day before
where romping was INDUCED In to excess.
On the morning Of the second day the father
became thoroughly alarmed and efforts were
again made to break the spell, but they, like
those OF the morning before, were unsucceSs-
full From that time forward until about the
middle Of October, with the exception of a
few hours of semi wakefulnass, the girl con-
tinued to slumber as naturally as any child
over fatigued from day of exercise. On
the 14th day of October, eight months and
half having elapsed since the beginning of
her unnatural sleep, she awoke and called
her sisters to help dress her, remarking, II
expect Gretchen will be here now before I
finish my breakfast" She ate heartily, but
could not be induced to believe that it was
October and that little Gretchen, her play
mate, had been dead several months.
The sisters of the little sleeper remembered
that little Gretchen had called on the first
day of the child's sleep lust because she had
promised her that she would when they parted
the night before" The fact that the child
did not mention the prospective call from her
little friend during her moments of seeming
wakefulness In April and July gave the at
tending physicians ample room to question
whether she had really been awake during
those semi-lucid intervals. Within few
days she was as bright and as playful as ever,
seemingly none the worse off for her eight
and half months Of torpidity. On five diff
ferent occasions, twice in April and three
times in July, when she could break the
lethargy for few moments, she seemed as
bright and happy as though in her normal
condition; would insist on helping sweep or
wash dishes, but always fell asleep before the
task was completed. The fact that she never
mentioned the names Of any Of her playmates
during these spells Of semi-wakefulness, argues
against her really being awake until the Ocro-
Der morning when she announced the pros
pective call from her little friend who had
died in May.
BROUGHT ON By sUNsTRoKE.
In 1874, while Nathan G. Vrocn1an, Of
Schenectady, N. Y, was at work In the har-
vest field, be received q severe srnsroke, but
quickly recovered and was soon able to take
his fork and go a-fald as though nothing had
happened few days later he complained
Of dizziness, and ere long was forced to give
up the farm altogether. He worked in the
car shops of the city named above for about
two years, but was never rid Of the feeling
of dizziness, especially il engaged in stoop-
ing work In the six years that followed his
sunstroke he was successfully shopman,
brakeman and a conductor on q freight
train. On the 18th of February, 1880, his
head troubled him more than usual and In
the afternoon he gave up bis work and took
to his bed He Immediately fell asleep, and
continued in that condition almost without
interruption for four weeks and three days
He would eat only on alternate days, and
then with his eyes closed, giving no heed TO
what was going on around him BIS appe-
tite was fairly good for one In an inactive
state, and never for o moment did he show
signs Of fever or delirium.
Towards TIE end Of the thirty-frst day
Vrocman gradually reused himself; the at
tendants chated his arms, legs and temples.
he opened his eyes, called for and ate q
hearty supper, impressing lis attendants
with the voraciousness Of his appetite. Dur
ing the next few days he was very oommuni
cative, persisting in keeping up a running
conversation on all sorts of subjects Per-
sons In the room who had known him since
the time Of the sunstroke say that he talked
more during the first night Of wakefulness
than be had during the six years preceding.
He ives awake almost all the time for the
next ten days and gained flesh and spirits
rapidly. On tbs evening of the tenth day he
again became morose and sleepy tonk TO his
bed and slept almost continually for month. |
Then brain fever set in and soon put pc
Rod to his existence.-St- Louis Republican. |
Trees with Large leaves.