Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-04-25
DOCTORS ARE PUZZLED
By the Singular Case Of
Little Nellie Russell.
BEEN ASLEEP FOR A WEEK.
She Takes Nourishment and 10 In
sensible to Suffering.

PEABODY, Mass, April 25.-Pretty little
tyear-old Nellie Russell has been sleeping
soundly for week, and the medical fra
ternity which Is at work on the case are
both alarmed and puzzled. They do not
know what to make of the situation, as the
child was perfectly healthy previous to a
week ago. and the first thing which at
tracted the attention of the physicians was
the fact that she was asleep.
The cause of the long sleep Is thought by
the attendant physicians Drs. Foster and
Frost, TO be low form Of meningitis, but
the outcome is wholly problematical, al
though the child may live. They claim the
case differs from others Of a similar nature
in that the child does not suffer AMI has
no commissions or other evidences of the
disease, except the long sleep.
Mr.. Russell Is young man and work 3
at Rust's factory in Peabody. He tod
the reporter that the little girl was per
fectly healthy previous to the peculiar at
tack.
The reporter was permitted 10 enter
the bedroom where the speecbless child
lay. There, propped upon n pillow, lay
the still form of child some years old,
and, except for small still breathing, one
Might Think She Were Dead.
Her eyes are open now," said her
father. Something that has not hap
pened for days"
With these words he stopped down, and
putting his mouth close to the lite ones
ears said: "Who is speaking to the baby
nowW The CLASSY stare Of the child's
eyes never moved, nor could IL be observed
thaf oha haa rA h,tt har In ~
lated with difficulty and very low: Papa
Russell" and that was all.
''She lays in whatever position we place
her ana does not move a muscle, although
she gives out kind Of gasp or moan as IL
she were suffering or experienced diff
Guilty in drawing her breath, yet the doc
tors assure me she is not suffering at all, 4"
said Mr.. Russell.
While the father was talking little fel.
low, probably two years of age, to1dled
into the room and stood staring gravely at
the reporter.
Mr.. Russell explained that he had ex-
perienced very sudden loss eight months
ayo in the death of his wife; then little
Willie became very i'll and was given up
as hopeless case by the doctors. No
sooner had he recovered than little Nellie
was taken with this strange disease.
Little Nellie is reported by all the neigh
bors, far and near, by whom she is fondly
regarded, ,as sweet AID ~insome child and
was born May 81, 1889, in the same room
where she Is now lying In state that
Cannot He Determined,
and that puzzles the city physicians. She
first complained of headache and re-
quested that wet cloth be tied about her
head and aha ha mt IN had This was
seven days ago, and she has lain upon the
bed in the same position, except when
moved, and apparently suffering no actual
pain.
Her temperature has been little high,
but not much more than normal, and Drs
Foster and Frost claim she is insensible to
pain and that a finger could be cut Off
without her feeling it, Nourishment in
the form Of milk and beef tea Is given her.
which she swallows when put into her
mouth with spoor, without any difficulty