The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-23
SLEPT FOR OVER TWO YEARS
Bridget Pendergast Finally Awakes,
but Is in a Dying Condition.
Remarkable History of a Case at the Central
Insane HOspital-Late DR.. Wrights
Review of IL.

Bridget Pendergast. the sleeping beau
tyr of the Central Hospital for the Insane,
has Weakened at last. and there Is every
evidence of nearing death, though the at
tending physician says she may yet live
for several weeks. Hers is one of the most
peculiar cases Of the kind known to med
ical science. and has attracted q great deal
of attention over the country. both among
physicians and the readers of news
papers which contained an account
of her condition shortly after she re-
lapsed INTO the trance In February of
1891. and from which she has just
awakened. He- case was made the sub
ject of q paper before the Marion
County Medical Society by DR.. Charles
wright, then superinteDdent or the hos
pital. In December of last year. Cases of
the character where the trance Is OF such
long duration are exceedingly rare, and
there are but two others reported where
the sleep lasted longer than that of Bridget
Pendergast. One of these was in New York
and one In Kingston, Ontario. reported by
the ssuperlntendent OF the asylum there.
In this latter case the sleep lasted for thir-
teen years. In two periods. one of which
WAS of seven years duration.
Bridget Pendergast was received at the
Central Hospital for the Insane from ST.
VIncent's Hospital on Sept. q, 1890.
She Is now about twenty-seven years of
age. She was employed as a domestic until
taken into st. Vincents. The trst signs OF
mental appeared about July 16.
1890, when she became negligent of her
personal appearance and surroundings:
with her friends, and would take no
food. When she was induced
to talk she said that people wero trying to
poison her and were putting poison In her
fond Whon n unaear an RI ~ NInnanta
she remained listless and dull and never
move from one place. She would not take
nOurishment OF any kind unless it was
forced upon her. She was treated by DE-.
Frank Morrison, who said that her BIO wells
were obstinately constructed and that she
was extremely melancholy.
Very little 10 known OF the unfortunate
girls history: as her relstives nearly all
live In Ireland, but 1t Is thought that her
mental infrmlty Is due to o dissppoint-
ment IN love.
For q short time after she was admitted
to the hospital for the insane she seemed
to be improving and became somewhat
brighter. but whenever spoken to on any
subject. she expressed a desire to go home.
During this period she took food freely.
but very soon she required to be fed and
hnaliy. In February. absolutely refused to
swallow q ything, and from that time till
Thursday of last week she has been In u
perfect trance, and has boon fed all that
tim by means of q nasal tube. She was
FED from sixty to ninety ounces OF milk per
day, and retained the nourishment we'll
she was apparently In D quiet. peaceful
slum Der, her eyes were closed and up-
turned, the pupils were contracted and not
responsive TO light; the mouth. which was
generally full OF saliva. was closed. and the
lips pursed and the tongue pressed tightly
against the upper teeth. Her face was
pale and the body was not very we'll nour-
ished. though, until recently. there were
no marked signs of cancellation. She
hraafha1 alnU and raonIar and hAr nniaa
was full and cOmpressible, ran ging from
sixty-four to eighty. and there was q slight
dizziness over the apex of the right lung.
There was noticeable q waxy rightly o.
awkward positions, and her thumbs and
great toes were strongly retracted; the
skin was healthy, warm and moist, and
there were no bed sores present.
During the entire period OF the trance. or
sleep, which has lasted for nearly three
years. she has only twice opened her eyes.
Then she smiled family. and Immediately
reiapsed into the stupOr. Once or twice
she has been heard TO indistinetly mention
something about going home.
II placed In q chair she would remain in
a Sitting posture for some time, gradually
slipping down into q reclining attitude. IL
placed In q standing position she would
topDle over. unless told very decidedly to
stand, when she would stand for @ while,
but with her eyes shut. and finally fall over
In any direction that the body might at
the time be leaning.
The treatment has been manly support
Inc. feeding. cleanliness and attention To
the natural wants of the body. Electricity,
both the constant and FsradIc currents,
nave been employed without any apparent
result. Stry CHINA. be~lladOnna, ~oatfein. Dig
Italis. and other drugs have been used In
FOOD and hyDodermically, without effect.
Massage. friction, all mechanical and thera-
peutical means as yet tried. a proved Of
no avail.
The Itfarofrro ~ mi. .~-1;t--
10 very meager. Many authors do not refer
to 1t at all, and those who do fail to throw
any light on the pathology, etIOlogy or
therapy. and leave us in darkness as to
what 1t is. what causes it. and what will
cure 1t. 51oC
On last Thursday Mrs. Dunbar. the at
tendant, noticed signs of life in her Sleep
ing patient, and DR.. Ray. the attending
physician. was Immediately summoned.
When he arrived he found the patients
eyes opened. and when spoken 60 she an
swered the questions ~prOpounded. She
was asked If she would like to have u
priest. and answered that she would. She
was asked if Mons. Bessonies should be
called, and shook her head. indicating q
negative. Asked If Father Dowd should
De called, she replied In the affirmative,
ana the priest was sent for. The moment
ne entered the door there was q convulsion
OF the patients muscles. and she again re-
iapeed into the stupor from which she had
Just w8kened. 1t was impossible to arouse
her. and the priest retired. In the even
ing of the same day she again
recovered Consciousness. and the priest
was again sent for. She talked
with him for awhile upon his second ap-
pssrance, end is still conscious of what is
going on about her. During the time of
her stupor she possessed no feeling, but
Friday and Saturday of last week she suf-
fered excruclatlng pains. During the last
two weeks she has emaciated greatly. and
has been reduced IN weight about twenty
i've pounds, and it Is very evident that the
final dissolution has begun. and it is but q
question of o short time till death will re-
move her from this world. At the time she
was brought TO the hospital she weighed
100 pounds. but at the present time her
weight is not more than from seveuty-five
to eighty pounds. Monday afternoon she
asked for food. but W hen 1t was given her
she said IL tasted badly. and she had to be
again fed with the nasal tube.
Her brother arrived In this city from Chi
cagO yesterday. and went directly TO the
hospital to see her. and will probably re-
mann ftli har daath