The evening times., 1896-12-09
may sLUMbERFOR MONTHS
Little Philadelphia Girl Has Slept
Now Twelve Days.
DOCTORS ARE MUCH PUZZLED
Returning From School One Day
She Said She Had Been Fright
ened and Fell Into Unconscious
ness-Her Conditions Are Leth-
argy, Trance and Catalepsy.

Philadelphia, Dec. 9.-Like one OF the
seven sleepcrs, twelve year-oId Mamie Stein
house lies on a bed at her home, No. 1O1S
Fourth street, and slumbers incessantiy.
For twelve days she has not spoken d CO.
hercnt word and the doctors fear that IL
will be months, perhaps longer, before
she returns to her normal condition.
Hysterical she returned from school a
week ago last Thursday and after saying
that everyone was endeavOrins to murder
her she went into a state OF letharsy and
all efforts to arouse her have proved fruit
less.
Mamie is the daughter OF Hilyas Stein
house, a Jewish rabbi. She is one OF twins
and until recently was never i'll for more
than a day or two at time. On Wednes-
day, November 20, she complained of being
sick, but next day she went to school as
usual. Upon returning at noon she STUN
bled into the house and muttercd that she
had been frightened by policeman.
GIRL WAS FRIGHTENED.
AS she had walked home, she said, peo
pie sat on the steps OF the houses and made
threatening grinaces at her.
There are some OF them now she ex-
claimed, sitting at the front door, wait
ing for lie to come out, so they can tear
Inc to pieces, and, trembling, She crept into
the arms of her mother for protection.
During the afternoon Mamie could not
he induced TO leave the house, and she be
came steadily worse. She cried contin
ually that she was going TO be killed. Final
ly Dr. II. Staller, OF 63l Catherine street,
was summoned. He questioned the girl, but
received incoherent replies. She insisted
that a policeman had frightened her and
that she knew he was one ofthose who were
going to kill her.
The officer had not laid a hand upon her
nor spoken to her, She ackno wledged, and
then she began crying Historically. The
cries became weaker and weaker, and final
ly She sank back unconscious.
FED THROUGH A TUBE.
The physician examined the girl thor
oughly, and found every organ normal.
There was not bruise to Indicate that
she had been assaulted, and the physician
was mystified. The slunIbers continued
throughout Thursday night and Friday.
Finding that she did not regain conscious
ness, and that all his efforts to wa ken her
were without avail and that the victim
could not be induced to swallow food, DR..
Staler gave her nOurishment through a
tube. Five times daily in the past ten
days Mamie has rec, lived nourishment in
this manner, and has retained it every
time, much to the establishment OF the
doctor
During the course OF her Inconsistencies ss
Mamie has gone through three conditions
-leInarEy, trance ana CatalepSN. NOW she
Is reversing them. Whether, after she
has returned to lethargic state, she will
become conscious, DR.. Stallcr does not
know, but he is inclined to the belief that
she will begin over again, and repeat the
conditions, perhaps indefini iteIy. He
thinks, however, that She will ultimately
recover.
ASLEEP FOR TWELVE DAYS.
During her twelve days of sleep Mamie
has been visited by many prominent pin ysi-
clans. DIR. Staller last night said that while
Mamie lies on her bed apparently in the
deepest slumber he believes that she like
one in a trance, is perfectly able to hear
what is going on about her.
on one or tw o occasions, with his assist
ance. she got out of bed and walked where
he guided her and then sank back into
bed again. The same experiment, tried
again a few minutes later. failed utterly
She could not beinduced tomOve.
Mr.. SteinhouSe has been entreated to
allow his daughter to be taken to n nos
pital. but he firmly declines. although in
two instances the ambulance was at the
door.
The doctor claims that even We're Mamie
to awake from her Sluinbers when she
returns to the condition that first marked
her unconSciOusncss. she cannot recover for
at least four or five weeks.