The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-24

mrc.s money has been spent for the hes.
medical treatment and advice, no doc
to- has yet been found VINO has been able
10 break the spell under whioh the sleep
er rests. He is given food by tender
hands. but seems only partially aroused
when being fed. and on being left alone
a. once again drops of 10 sleep. In fact
so hard is il TO arouse aim great psrc
Of his food has TO be administered in
liquid FORM
When Harms went west. nearly tven-
ty years ago, he took up farming. Grad
ually the sleeping spell grew upon him.
until ne was unable TO attend 20 his
farm. and for while. until ais sons be-
came Old enough. the place wss much
neglected. and the income Of the family.
once prosperous. greatly diminished.
This summer for few days the Sleep
er thoroughly awoke and his family were
in hopes his long slunber was AZ last
broken. But the awakening was but
for short time; few days and Herman
Harm was again in a solid sleep.
The pulse OF the sleeper is regular.
though stronger than that Of the healthy
adult. II fairly seems that the heart
meant to burst the cspillaries and drown
that organ. The pulse ove~ the temple
is strong and the head is hot. while the
flesh is generally below rhe ordinary
temperature. As he sleeps the syesids
blink. as IL annoyed by the ligSt. but
mis- they always do. TIE usual position
OF the sleeper is on his left side, the left
hand firmly against the brow. AT the
times when the sleeper swakens ne Is
rational and shows that his mind is en-
ti-ely unclouded.
Harms is now So years old When the
first symptoms OF his trouble made thsei-
appearance in 1875 the patient weigoei
one hundred and eighty pounds; now ne
does no, weigh more than one-half cf
that-about ninety pounds. His beard
and hair are long. his features drawn.
white and thin: the cheek bones look a.
IL they would soon force their way
through the covering OF skin. Harms
mas five children. none OF whom SHOWS
any signs Of the terrible malady whica
holds their father 20 his bed.
Many different opinions have been ey-
pressed by the numerous physicians who
cave attended the c,se unsnccesssilEF
Powerful electric batteries have been sp-
piled 20 the body the only effect Of which
Was TO cause slight contraction OF the
muscles OF the body. The disease has
been variouSly denonlinsted as heart
trouble. softenirg or the brain. Bright's
disease Of the kidneys. complication OF
troubles and the use OF too much quin-
ine
Harms is fed about once in twenty
four ho1rs-some times only once in
forty-eigat hours. In the .partaking of
food he is very frugal. refusing any
dsirties that sympathetic friends and
neigh5o!s may offer him. saying that q
slice OF buttered bread is enough for
him. In fact. his digestive organs have
thing more suostsntill would prove
harmful.
Mr.. Harms Is OF a religious turn OF
mind. and on account % religious scrup-
fers from managers Of museums. The
les hss refused many good financial Of
family absolutely refuse TO give out
ia ms picture for publication. and. in
truth. do not desire any notoriety in ne
matter.
The man shows tremendous vitality 10
have lived in his unusual and unnatural
condition 50 long. and IL seems now
surely that mis- days must be ve-y nearly
numbered.