Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-01-07
NOT DEAD, BUT IN A TRANCE.
A Chicago Young Woman Has Narrow
Escape from Being Inferred Alive.

bO you see JnaJ lazy IN Jle carriage
with the little eirl in her arms?" asked w.
ID. Curtin, the Iudertaker.
eyes, sir"
well, that is Mrs. -, and eight years
ago was called to her home by her father
to prepare her body for burial"
What! prepare a live person for burial:''
asked the reporter il anaZement.
I'm this case, yes" responded Mr. Curtin,
"but her parents and physician thought
she was dead"
at was shortly after I opened up my es-
tablishment, when one evening n nicely
dressed old gentleman came into the store
and asked for the proprietor. / informed
hun that / was the individual he was seek
ing, and asked him what | could do for
him. He tol me he desired my services
to prepare his daughters remains for
Lurial, and wanted her embalmed so that
the body would keep month.
This WAS about my first good job in
this vicinity, and knew if did my work
satisfactorily to the old gentleman that it
would help me in my business, which at
the time was not very brisk, as | was COM
paratively a stranger in that section of the
city. The Old gentleman seemed anxious
to have me take charge of the remains my
self. After packing my instrument case
and taking an extra quantity of embalm-
ing fluid, l started for the residence.
When rang the bell was admitted by
n servant, who conducted me to the room
where the alleged corpse lay. AS yet moth
ing had been disturbed The body was
covered by sheet, and when uncovered
the face | found it was that of beautiful
girl about seventeen years of age. To all
appearance life was extinct, as the body
was cold and rigid. ! lifted her on my
cooling board, and it was then that [ dis
covered, when the features were plainly
visible, that her eyes were bright and not
covered by film, as is usual, and that her
lips were remarkably red for a dead per-
son. At first | was about 10 call the old
gentleman and tell him that his daughter
was not dead; but thought better of it, as
| was sure was mistaken. Nevertheless
| determined TO make the usual tests and
was about to prick her with my lance
when thought | noticed slight move
ment of the eye. Nor was ! mistaken
II barred the neck so as to get near the
artery we use in arterial emhalming, and
when | made a slight indentation with the
knife small drop of blood dropped on NV
finger. This blood was warm, and | then
knew that life was not extinct | called a
servant and asked her what form of dis
ease her mistress had died Of She told me
| the doctor said it was typhoid malaria !
| then asked for the death certificate, and
found that the servant was right.
Il said nothing to any one in the house.
and, after wrapping the body in several
blankets, placed it. back on the bed
Il had often read OF people being in
| frances and taken for dead. and was sure
that this WAS similar case. Not knowing
whether she was conscious. ! spoke to her
nd fnl b.~ hut 7 L, bs
| hypnotic state and not dead and that |
| would return in few moments with
| physician. | passed quietly out of the
| house, telling the servant to allow no
person in the room till | returned, and
| found a medical friend, who accompanied
| me back to the house. He was not long in
determining the facts, rs his diagnosis
| proved beyond all doubt that the lady was
| not dead, but in a deep trance. He also
! thought she was conscious. and spoke
| kindly to her, telling her not to fear, as
she would be all right in a little while
''He injected drug into her arm, and in
! a short time was rewarded by hearing a
slight futter of the heart, which gradually
| grew stronger.
| when went down stairs the old gen
tleman was pacing up and down the parlor
| floor, and when he saw me he started for
: his hat and coat, saying he would 20 back
| to the store with me and pick ont n casket.
| ! told him to he seated, as there was some
mistake, as his daughter did not need a
| coffin at present, and | hoped it would be
a long time before she did. At first ] could
not make him comprehend that his daugh-
! ter was still alive, but finally convinced
him that it was fact. and introduced him
! to the doctor, who in the meantime had
| come into the room.
''The old man was partly stunned and
acted more like a crazy man than the SEN
sible person that he was. Well, both the
doctor and sat at the bedside of the girl
| all night, but it was not until the follow
/ ing afternoon that she recovered conscious
ness She knew absolutely nothing of
what had taken place, and it was not until
some weeks after. when she had fully re
covered, that her father told her all. Three
years later she was married, and is today
as happy wife and mother a. lives in Chi
| cago."-ChicaCO Press
1t is estimated by manufacturers that it
would require 500 persons working by