The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-02-04

psront Death and Sudden Return to Lilo
"a Visi; to tho City.
GREENVILLE, S. c., Jan. 2&.-The |
News OF last Sunday publishes thc gol-
lowing remarkable story Of the illucss of
q little child:
Probably the most lemalka bic case in
the history Of the medical profession Of
this or any other country was that of
Leila Compton, the fOUrtccn-ycar-uld
daughter Of j. +. Compton, farmer
who lives fifteen ,uiles northeast OF tais
city, just i'll The edge Of s;partanburg
county. The story is one Of Tho ;traug-
est ever heard or read Of and is vou1t I'd
for by twelve physicians and hundreds
Of people of this and Spartauburc couu-
ty. 1t is told for the first time by Tue
News, and is direct from NJ. CnmpiDn
and his lutte daughter, who is now lp-
parently as heAlGl.ya as aYy child. Tmfy
were both in the city yesterday. 4
News reporter had heard of The &Lra;!ye
case many montIs aco but rcirained
from mentioning it until he saw the ~
ther and his daughter.
On the second Monday IN MAY Of last
year Leila Compton, was taken III. She
dldn't want 90 eat anything, bat tor
week her parents tried to restore her
without sending for Il physician. She
aid not grow any better and M. Comp
ton sent for bis family physician, DR..
" hite. lie said that The little girl had
fever and prescribed remedies. among
them calomcl. The calomcl made her
intnscly sick and instead Of improving
she grew rapidly worse. Two more phv-
sicans Of the same nei&hbOrhood were
called in. Zach had q different idea Of
the disease from which she was suffering
and each would have prescribed differ
ent medicines. Nu:hint appeared TO do
the patient any good and she began to
sob like n chastiscd child. This con-
1inucd through the day, but at night
would nearly cease and she would slecp
soundly until morning. She began to
complain Of pains III the breast and
stomach and her head began 10 Jerk cou-
vulsively.
The physicians finally decided that
there was no hope for the child. Other
physicians were called in. among them
DR.. j. II. Wilkinson, Of this city. All of
thccc decided that the girl could not
live. The medicine and TODD winch was
given her Vas not retained. By us
| time the girl declined to take any more
TODD or medicine, sayir5 that lOcdlc,ne
would not benefit her. She va. y mem.
her OF the church and said nothing put
prayer would help her.
Something over Il month after s!,c V ,s
taken i'll she complained Ct fNc Nrlt
hurting her eyes aud i was npt l0n.
before she Loss her sig;d, Eor Il whiic
she could see objects but every, llng 30,
pearcd black TO her. Tnen she hcean tC
lose the power OF speech. Two months
after a ply eician had been called in all
that her stomach would retain yfas the
juice o. watermelon and the water that
melted from ice put in her mouth. For
live months She did not swallow a drilG
OF water. Her father bought ice by the
hundreds Of pounds in this city. ,le did
not give up hope and spent everything
that he had saved and what nc could
borrow. The nCighbOrs were kind end
assisted hum. The death Of III" child
was expected every day and every hulr.
She had lain in bed ninety four days
without touching 4 morse! Df l2Od nud
Tor months without being able TO speak
or see. Her sense OF hearing RENAMED
and by signs her parents understood
when she wanted ice or WatnrmcIou
juice. The physicians had attempted
TO keep up life by injecting French
brandy and coi liver oil,
One day after the girl had Dccn i'll FIVE
months, breath seemed to leave i,rI nnh
her father, who wa at work, vas s,nt
Tor. The sad preparations for bu.ial
~ l., I
moved, and there was not the least SAN
OF lie. She had been sick 81 lOn~ !hat
her eyes had sunk deep in he: head.
sores covered her body and she did not
weigh over twenty pCmAs. The nci"h-
borS came III 10 express their sympathy
ior the afflicted family and oncr ti,cir as
sstancc. The girl rcmainedln The trance.
Tor such 1t was, for two hours. She
heard the lamentations. Of her parents,
the words OF sympathy Of friends, but she
could not SPEAK or move. Suddenly life
seemed TO return to her and for the first
time IN months she lecbly muLtcrcd that
she was hnnGry. The father heard the
muCtcrings. lie was rcioiced and asked
his child what she wanted She sad she
wanted some fish IN WANTED everybody
to pray tOT her. Mr.. Compton did net
wait to get the advice OF 4 physician
about giving the patient fish, but hur-
rlcd TO tho EnOrCC river. He met a
neighbor, who gave him part Of an eel
which he had caught. Mr.. Compton
returned, had the fish prepared and gave
IL to his daughter. She sucked tie Juice
from it and swallowed small bits OF The
acsh. Strange to say, she retained this
food. The little "irl bcgan Slowly 70
grow better and asked Tor and vas given
what she wanted. The physicians 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, however, had lett
her, but the lids were pulled open and
closed by her parents. They remained
in whatovcr position they were lrit.
Weeks passed and the little gir. colI.n-
ued to strengthen. Her sight and the
power Of opening and closing The eye
lids returned, and for two months she
has been in good health, but is still weak.
Her long illness and the fact that her