The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-23
1T WAS A TRANCE.
The Case of a Boston Young Lady, Who Was
Pronounced Dead.

! Especial to THE HERALD Examiner Dispatch !
BosToN, May 22.-Close upon the mys-
FERROUS death of Washington Irving
| Bishop comes the strange experience of a
Boston young lady, Miss Kate Patten,
twenty-five years old, and daughter of
Enos Patten, IA Oak Grove Terrace. She
has three times passed into a condition that
the physicians agreed was death and re-
vived, and she bids fair to recover her
former health. Thursday last she was
taken i'll, apparently with tonsilitis. She
grew rapidly worse, and DIR. c.. Z. Stone,
the regular family physician, pronounced
1t a severe case Of diphtheria. Everything
was done to relieve the sufferer, but it was
Of little avail. The patient continued con-
stantly to sink, and unable to speak, and
| kept her eyes always closed. Finally, her
breathing ceased; her heart throbbed
! family and then stopped. The doctor said
that Miss Patten was dead, but to reassure
the family, he called in DR.. Dodge, who
said life was extinct The doctors were
about to depart, when suddenly the young
woman moaned and opened her eyes, and
staring vacantly about the room at the
weeping family, said in a low voice: II am
not dead. | am very weak, but conscious"
She was made comfortable and the ply
siciaus departed. They We're summoned a
few hours later. The same strange pro-
ceeding again occurred. This time the
physicians were more convinced than ever
that the young woman was dead. They
declared heart failure to be the cause of
death, and there were no hopes now. The
patient again rallied in spite of their in
sistence. The lady again showed signs of
life and the trance passed away.
The physicians are utterly at a loss,
either how to vindicate themselves or to
explain the marvellous recUperative powers.
Then came another spell, more terrible
and convincing than the others. Even the
family We're compelled to admit that the
end had come. The jaw dropped. the heart
stopped and Precipitation ceased, and pre-
parations for laying out the body were
made. Bandages were adjusted about the
head, and everything was in readiness for
the undertaken. The patient was in this
state an hour, when she again showed signs
of life. Shortly after, the doctors pro-
nounced her comparatively out of danger
and in hopeful condition.
Mr.. Patten stated that his family were
subject to nervousness, but there was an
entire absence of any signs Of this trouble
His daughters case convinced him that the
cause of this seeming demise was due to
what the physicians said was heart failure.
He has morbid fear of burial alive and
has made provision in his will that in case
OF his own death, that he shall be cremated.
DR.. Stone stated that the girl on Sunday
was suffering from what was supposed to
be tonsilitis. A closer examination showed
signs of diphtheria. The trance-like state,
no doubt, was caused by epilepsy The
hearts action stopped and he was of the
opinion that life was extinct, as were Drs.
Dodge and Whitney. 1t is possible the
girl will recover.
A similar case, but even more stranger,
occurred in this city some years ago. A
young woman, of well-known family,
suffered a severe nervous shock. She was
undoubtedly drugged. The case was most
distressing and the patient continued in an
unconscious state for over two years. In
another case, the patient died five days
after the attack, which was induced by
great mental distress.