, 1896-03-16
IN A TRANCE MANY WEEKS.
The Singular Case Of Miss Benedict, OF
New York.

10 lie lOT WCChS do Out utdu, 10 De
partially sensible of what is taking
place about you. to be utterly deprived
of voice, hearing and muscular action,
to be in constant terror of being en-
tombed alive, is perhaps one of the
most dreadful and agonizing expert
ences that can befall a human being.
Such, however, was the condition of
Miss Hattie Benedict, a handsome and
prepossessing young lady of Marengo,
N. Y, for TOUR months until Wednes-
day last. Four months ago this young
woman fell into a state of coma, which
continued almost uninterruptedly for
over five weeks. Then a period of five
weeks ensued during which the young
lady was in a semi-cataleptic condi-
again lapsed into a state of complete
coma, from which she became on
scious for the first time Wednesday.
The unfortunate young woman is the
daughter of Elijah Benedict, a wealthy
and well known farmer residing near
the village of Marengo, a small hamlet
six miles southeast of Lyons. Miss
Benedict is a handsome young woman
nearly 10 years of age. The Benedicts
are an old and numerous family in this
vicinity.
The peculiar afliction from which
Miss Benedict suffers is not character
lied by the anne symptoms as those
reported in the medical treatises.
When the first trance appeared it crept
gradually over the young woman with
out any apparent cause. Sitting in a
chair or busted about the house, with
out regard to excitement or ennui, she
would become aware of a growing feel
ing of drowsiness. and then gradually
lapse n a semi-comatose state. And,
though, as she afterwards related. in
the seeming full possession of her in
telluctual faculties. she was utterly
without the power to move or stir a
single muscle of her entire body. On
these occasions her upper eyelids had a
decided downward tendency. and she
has a full consciousness of the pres
ence of those who came within the
range of her vision. She could even
see their lips moving, but was utterly
unable to comprehend a word of their
conversation or to hear the loudest
noise made in the room. To the at
tendants there was no sparkle or gilt
ter of the eye to show that she was con-
scious OF their Notwithstanding
but a cold. dull. lusterless stare like
that of a dead person. She experienced
no pain or physical sensation of any
kind, though a brisk pinch of the fin
gers or the insertion of a pin point into
her flesh would sometimes cause Il
slight, almost undesirable movement
or start Of the body. The operation of
the heart was slightly perceptible,
some traces of physical warmth re-
manned, a slight color fingered within
the center of the cheeks, and, upon APP
plication Of a mirror to the lips. a tor
pid. irregular and vacillating action of
the lungs was to be detected.
These are the symptoms that charac-
terized her five weeks trance. from
which she awoke at rare intervals, and
retained sensibility only for a few mo-
ments at a time. Her restoration was
always. sudden and complete. The
awakenings were attended by cold
sweats. n every feature of her coun-
tenance was expressive of the most in
tense terror. On every occasion OF her
return to consciousness her first words,
uttered in weak and broken ~syllables,
were: Il am alive. Please don't bury
me-"
Mrs. Benedict, the girls mother,
with tears in her eyes, zach time tried
to calm her daughter. assuring her that
she was not going to die, and that she
would soon be restored to health. Once
during this period when the girl awoke
the mother hurried to get her some
food. She had time to get her a cup of
tea and a slice of toast. Her daughter
had the toast in her hand, and was
raising 1t to her mouth, when she sank
into a trance, crushing the bread in her
rigid fingers. Thursday morning, No
vember 10. 1895, she partially awoke
from her trance, complaining Of an
acute pain at the base of her brain.
She had been in a practically uninter-
rupted trance for over five weeks. Then
followed nearly five weeks. during
which the young lady remained In
what may be termed a semi-cataleptic
state, characterized by frequent inter-
walls Of complete consciousness.
The trance from which Miss Bene-
dict suffered until Wednesday last
came upon her almost instantly and
without a moments warming Sunday
morning, January IL. She was reclin-
ing upon a sofa In the sitting room,
when she complained Of a feeling OF
faintness. and had scarcely spoken the
words when she fell into a deep sleep.
Her mother hurried to her side, and.
finding her numb. stifi and chilly. and
her limbs in a dr1wn-up position. plac-
ID her upon the door and Strengthened
her extremities. This she had been in
structed to do by the attending physi-
eta1. lest the deathlike rightly that
hid characterized her preceding
traaces should stinen her limbs in an
r -