The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-19
ASLEEP ABOUT A YEAR.
Young Dutch Girl Breaks All Rec
ords of somnolency.
From the New York Journal.

EfDm the New YORK journal.
young Dutch girl. Maria Coetskeus,
has broken all records in the annals Of
somnolence. She has slept 246 days and.
so far as medical observation can ascer-
tain, is imperfect health. Her home in
Stevensworth, Germany, is Mecca for
the curious. but so far no one has been
able to give an accurate diagnosis of the
ailment which has caused her prolonged
slumber.
Some Of the physicians who have seen
tho girl say that 1t Is a superlative case
Of chronic hysteria. Others declare it to
be "auto-suggestion." Whatever it may
be, her countenance has the hue OF
health, and her temperature and pulse
are regular. There Is no deception re-
garding the time during which the girl
mas slept Her parents are more than
anxious that the girl should wake, but
all efforts 10 restore her to conscious-
ness, to rouse her from her slumbers
have met with signal failure.
Several physicians OF considerable note.
VINO VISITED the glrl. give credence to
neighbors, which, they hold, may explain
the whole affair. This story is that the
girls lover now and for some time abb
sent from Stevensworth, possesses marked
hypnotic power. He is also of an exceed
ingly jealous disposition, and Maria has
more than once aroused his ire by carry
ing on innocent firtations with young
men of the village.
The night preceding the day upon which
the girls long slumber began the two
quarreled violently over Maria's Conduct
toward a young farmer who had been
present at a party the lovers had attend
ed a night or two before. Late on the
night referred to a young man was pass
ing Marias home and heard the lovers
quarreling. He made his way to the win
dow of the room from whence the sound
OF voices came. Maria, he says was
seated in a chair, while before her stood
her lover. The listener heard the lover
say to his sweetheart:
II am going away and shall be absent
FOR months. / have not the faith in you
to believe that you will keep your pledge
10 me, 50 l shall make you sleep until
return"
The girls face grew pallid, the listener
says, and she seemed unable to look else
where than in her lovers face. He could
not observe that she spoke a word after
that. In a few moments, however, the
lover started to leave the room and the
listener fled.
From this statement it is argued that
the girl is in hypnotic sleep. from which
only the absent lover can release her. So
forts have been made to find the missing
man and force him to return, but without
success. Several professional hypnotists
have also been consulted, and one who
has visited the sleeping girl declares that
the story is more than probable When
asked why If she was merely under hyp-
motto influence, he could release her, he
replied that the influence of the person
who may have brought about her present
state was so strong with the girl rnat he
was unable to successfully combat It, If
ii is hypnotism, he says, the girl will con-
tinue to sleep until her lover returns.
What lends color to the hypnotic story is
that the usual evidences which accom-
pany a trance or cataieptic state which
may have been superinduced by various
causes are entirely absent In this instancel
The girl has always been IN perfect health
an utter stranger to sickness. She is
not what would be termed intellectual
and in fact, there is no physical reason
known, so far as she is concerned thar
would be apt to contribute to bring about
the present state of affairs.
The case is rapidly becoming celebrated.
and is already a source of fruitful dis
cussion in Berlin medical circles. The
who are in attendance upon the
girl say that, judging from the effect her
long sleep has had upon her thus far she
could continue in the same state at least
an equally long period without the slight
est danger of dissolution
I'm Chicago.--Visitor: Where is it that
man lives? Must be outside the city lin
its, isn't it?
Resident: Outside the what?
Visitor: The city limits.
Resident; We haven't anys--Puclr.