Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-01-24
Thirst for Blood.

This expression finds a literal veriti-
cation in the abnormal appetite of a
young Texas girl. 1t is without par
allel, and affords an exceedingly in
teresting study to the medical fratcr-
nifty.
This malady, which it must be ac-
knowledged is of a most remarkable
and distressing nature has recently
attacked the young daughter of Win
throp Davis, who owns one of the
largest sawmills in this vicinity, says
an Atlanta (Tcxas) correspondent in
the New York Sun. The young lady
Is IN her sixteenth year, and when in
her normal health of an amiable.
rather shrinking, disposition, and pos
sesscd of no small claim to beauty. be-
sides being intelligent and well adj
vanced in her studies. About three
months ago she fell into Il low melan-
choly state, and displayed Il singular
aversion to all society, refusing entire
ly to converse at times and exhibiting
sullen, angry disposition when
questioned or demonstrated with.
All food was rejected for several
days, until piece OF freshly killed
beef was accidentally brought into her
presence, when she threw herself
upon it with all the savage greediness
OF famished ANIMAL and began to
tear and rend it with her teeth, suck
ing the blood with relish. Since
then, at periods varying from three to
seven days, she is seized with the
same thirst for blood, and when
brought in sight OF it will drink it
with avidity, in spite of all efforts
made to restrain her. Such efforts
are attended with much danger. for
during these attacks she fails to re-
cognize even the members of her
family and will snap and bite at any
one attempting to molest her.
Her entire appearance undergoes a
change, her usually gentle expression
becoming inhumanly ferocious, her
eyes bloodshot and glaring, while her
jaws snap furiously and she keeps up
hideous snarling and growing. Her
lace becomes suffused with blood and
her hair bristles on her head like that
OF an angry animal. Once satiated
with blood she falls into deep sleep,
as if from intoxication, and on awaken
ing seems to have no remembrance
whatever of her singular attack, and
is once more her quiet, lady-likc self,
only complaining of severe headache,
which frequently lasts until her next
seizure.
Physicians who have seen her are at
a loss to account for the cause of her
malady, and have up to the present
failed entirely to relieve her. BY the
advice of several, attempts have been
made to keep her from the sight of
blood, but the result is so distressing
that it is now thought best to allow
her to crafty her unnatural thirst.
Unable to do so otherwise, she at
tackled her own flesh, tearing it with
out any apparent pain and sucking
the blood.
On another occasion, when seem-
ingly herself, her attention was at
tracted to n younger brother, who,
having cut his hand, entered the
house for the purpose OF having the
bleeding cash bound up. She in
stantly leaped across the room, and
without warning seized the boys hurt
hand in her mouth and bit him to the
bone. 1t was only with the greatest
difficulty that she could be made to
release him, and when finally forced
to let go gave vent to her rage in
hoarse cries, or rather screams, like Il
wild beast cheated of its prey.
Mr.. Davis and his wife are persons
of educ alton and refinement, and pro-
fess themselves entirely unable to nc
count for their daughters strange al
fliction, rs on both sides for genera
tions there has never been any intem-
perance or mental disease.