The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-03
BAFFLED THE DOCTORS.
burglar Illness Which Nobody Can
Explain-Wasting and Starving for
Months-Apparent Death and
Sudden Return to Life
lGreenville News.

of this or any other country was that
Of Leila Compton, the fourteen-year-old
daughter OF J. F. Compton, a farmer
who lives fifteen miles northeast of this
city, just in the edge of Spartanburg
County. The story is one fthe strang
est ever heard or read of and is vcuched
for by twelve physicians and hundreds
ofpeople Of this and Spartanburg Coun-
ty. 1t is told for the first time by The
News, and is direct from Mr.. Compton
and his little daughter, who is now ap-
parently as healthy as any child. They
were both in the city yesterday. A
News reporter had heard of the strange
case many months ago but retrained
from mentioning it until he saw the
father and Lis daughter.
On the second Monday in May of
last year Leila Compton was taken i'll.
She didn't want to eat anything, but
for week her parents tried to restore
her without sending for a physician.
She did not grow any better and Mr..
Compton sent for his family physician,
DR.. White. He said that the little girl
had fever and prescribed remedies,
among them calomel. The calomel
made her intensely sick and instead of
improving she grew rapidly worse.
Two more physicians Of the same
neighborhood were called in. Each
had a difereut idea Of the disease from
which she was suffering and each
would have prescribed different medi-
cines. Nothing appeared to do the
patient any good and she began to sob
like chastised child. This continued
through the day, but at night would
nearly cease and she would sleep sound
ly until morning. She began to COM
plain of pains in the breast and stomach
and her head began to jerk convul-
sively.
The physicians finally decided that
thele was no hope for the child. Other
physicians were called in, among them
DR.. J. R. Wilkinson, of this city.
All of them decided that the girl could
not live. The medicine and food which
was given her was not retained. By
this time the girl declined to take any
more food or medicine, saying that
medicine would not benefit her. She
was a member of the church and said
nothing but prayer would help her.
Something over month after she
was taken ill she complained of the
light hurting her eyes and it was lot
long before she lost her sight. For a
while she could see objects but every
thing appeared black to her. Then she
began to lose the power ofspeech. Two
months after physician had been
called in all that her stomach would
retain was the juice of watermelon and
the water that melted from ice put in
her mouth. For five months she did
not swallow a drink of water. Her
father bought ice by the hundreds OF
pounds in this city. He did not give
up hope and spent everything that he
had saved and what he could borrow.
The neighbors were kind and assisted
him. The death of the child was ex-
pected every day and every hour. She
had lain in bed ninety-four days with
out touching lnorsel of food and fol
months without being able to speak OF
see. Her sense Of hearing remained
and by signs her parents understood
when she wanted ice or watermelon
juice. The physicians had attempted
to keep up life by injec ing French
brandy and cod liver oil.
One day after the girl had been il
five months, breath seemed to leave
her and her father, who was at work
was sent for. The sad preparations fo]
burial were begun. Not a muscle O.
the child moved, and there was moi
the least sign of life. She had been sick
so long that her eyes had sunk deep ir
her head, sores covered her body anc
she did not weigh over twenty pounds
The neighbors came in to express theil
sympathy for the afflicted family ant
offer their assistance. The girl re
manned in the trance, for such it was
for two hours. She heard the lamenta
tions of her parents, the words of sym
pathy of friends, but she could no
speak or move. Suddenly life seemed
to return to her and for the first tins
in months she feebly muttered thai
she was hungry. The father heard the
mutterings. He was rejoiccd and asked
his child what she wanted. She sale
she wanted some fish and wanted
everybody to pray for her. Mr.. Compton
did not wait to get the advice ofa physi
clan about giving the patient fish, but
hurried to the Enoree river. He met {
neighbor, who gave him part of an ee
which he had caught. Mr.. Compton
returned, had the fish prepared anc
gave it 10 his daughter. She sucked the
Juice from it and swallowed small bits
ofthe flesh. Strange to say, she retained
this food. The little girl began slowly
to grow better and asked for and was
given what she wanted. The ephysicians
still said she would not live. The
father gave his daughter everything
she asked for. AS the power of speech
returned the girls sight grew better
The power of opening her eyes, how
ever, had left her, but the lids were
pulled open and closed by her parents
They remained in whatever position
they were left. Weeks passed and the
| little girl continued to strengthen. Hel
4 c,rl,t org2 In of NnnninCr