The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-19
CHARMED FROM 4 TRANCE
Surgeons Use a Mandolin to
Awaken Mamie Steinhaus.
SWEET NOTES AROUSED HER
She Once Slept Nineteen Days. and
Ther re Were Fears That She Might
Never Open Her Eyes Again. When
Strains From a Favorite Opera Re-
stored Consciousness.

New York, Aug. Ain awardof BeIl.y II
Hospital a few evenings ago lay Mamie
Steinhaus, a girl w no had for days been In
trance from which she could not bs
awakened. Almost everything known ts
medical science had been applied in ths
effort to restore her to consciousness, unit
at last some one tho ught of the effect that
might be produced by the charm OF music
and a mandolin was brought 10y the bedside
and as the notes or an old German SONG
We're softly picked on the strings the girl
lost her look OF sulIen apathy and the hard
lines OF her face gradually softened. Hell
eyes, which she had kept obstinately closed
opened and looked up ut the surgeon and
the musician with gentle light. Fol-
hours she had tossed about ON her cot
rut now she sighed restfuly and lay still
Another tune was played and still an
other, aH old German-foik songs. and
visions Of her childhood i'm Germany came
to the girl, ard she dreanily smiled. Then
at "A sign from tile surgeon. the mandolin
player tiptoed softly away. The music test
had been successful
Ward No. "a where she had been placed
is the woman's alcoholic W ard, and this was
the first tiihe in its history that musical
instrument was played within its walls
The girl W as a prisoner there, not because
OF alcoholism, bUt because she was suffering
from hysteria. and incipient insanity, and
was Threatened with coma, from which she
night never awake. To have placed her in
la inS ps,t1fd
vatcd her hy>teria as t. have involved the
graves. consequences.
The gin wasIn Icthargic coma for nine.
teen days in Philadelphia last December.
After cold baths, needle prickings and all
the methods known TO modern science had
been tried In vain to Arouse her, she awoke
from her long trance as familiar strains
from the opera of "Lurline" were pla yed
on a violin at her bedside. She las always
beer passiOnateiy fond of music, and would
dance tirelesslS as il was pla yed, or sit
entranced at il. 1t was on account of this
love for music that, !as last resort, the
violin playing was resorted to to arouse
her from her long slumber.
The girls psychological puzzle, and her
case is of pro found interest To physicians.
II rs feared thatshe may even yet, ia spite
OF every care, relapse again into lethargi
coma, as in December.
Her finai recovery AT that time was as
remarkable as the nature OF the attack.
For several weeks after the music had
aroused her, she suffered from a severe at
tack OF fneianci,ilia, but was startlingiy
relieved. one day,aby q sudden burst OF
hearty AMI long continued laughter.
Fa.x. 4 Of h.. or,1 n, s.s..
ter Anne bring tire only children horn To
their parents. Anne has never shown all
normal TENDENCIES, nor did Mamie until her
Pbila,ielpida sleep. When she awoSe ar
ter the nineteen Gaysof coma, she said she
distinctly remembered all that had been
said and done during the period, but that
she had been utterly unable to make a
sound or ruove muscle.
Two u,Jntns a;,o her stepfather, the Rev
f. Steinhaus, q Jewish rabbi, removed to
this city with AauIie, expecting to send
for his wife and Anne within a short time
lie took a room at No. 1874 Eldridge street.
and there the girl t'ecame the life and
light of the building. But one day she
was gloomy and refused to eat The synp
toms grew more marked, and the father
had her removed to Governor Hospital.
whence, after week OF treatment she
was transferred early yesterday morning
to Bellevue.
The efforts of the hospital physicians
have thus far kept her fron relapsIng into
coma, hut they realize that at any moment
she may sink into such state should she
do ~ the test of music viii be again re.
sorted to. The girls mother and sister ar
rived from Philadelphia aid visited her
at the hospital She reused herself from
her moTose apathy long enough to greet
them