Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-04-07
SLEPT FOR NINE WEEKS.
Rosa Joda Has Awakened From Her
Long Slumber.

Rosa Joda Has Awakened From Her
Long Slumber.
Miss Rosa Joda, the youthful Fifth
ward slumberer, awoke from her pro
longed sleep last Wednesday evening
having experienced lethargy cover
! ing period of eight weeks and -four
days. The history of this strange case
which has created great deal of at
tention and excited the curiosity of the
medical profession, is thus given
| through an interview with the attend
! ing physician, DR. F. G. Werner,
| printed in Mondays Milwaukee Senti-
mel, which presents picture of the
subject and devotes over column OF
space to the case:
81 have been the attending physician
| for the Joda family Tor fifteen years.
| Rosa's case first received my personal
attention on January "a, last, two DAYS
of the lungs The disease progressed
favorably until January 80, but during
this time she could not, and did not,
sleep On the latter date mentioned
she fell asleep and continued 80 for
about thirty-six hours before any par
ticular notice was taken of her condi-
ton Then an attempt was made to
give her nOurishment, but it was with
the greatest difficulty she was aroused
for a few minutes. When awakened
she seemed perfectly conscious, being
very bright and answering questions
on different subjects promptly and in
diligently. She complained, however,
that she felt tired and desired to sleep
while longer. Remaining much in
this same condition she continued to
sleep soundly until March 81. at Z
o'clock NJ, when she awakened of
her own accord.
''She did not sleep any that night,
but did a couple of hours the next day
and about FIVE hours the following
night.
During the first three weeks Of
Rosa's sleep her temperature was sub
normal, and her pulse and heart we're
about forty to the minute, but qui te
strong Occasional hypodermic in
iections OF strychnine brought them to
the normal. During this period it
generally took about ten minutes to
awaken her, but after that not SO
muCn time was REQ ulfeO.
1T was with the greatest effort, how
ever, that she could be kept awake for
a period of ten minutes. or even for
sufficient time to give her proper
nOurishment, and very often she would
fall asleep while in the act of passing
food to her mouth Bv actual count
she has returned to a sound sleep Ia
from three to five seconds, which
tn no 10,
nevertheless fact. After having been
awake it as quite possible to arouse
herimmediateiv thereafter. A pecul-
lar feature of the case was the discovery
that by turning the patient on her side
she could be more readily awakened.
The pupils of her ewes were slightly
more dilated than normal, but respond
ed promptly to light.
"When asleep and lying on her back
her arm could be penetrated with a
needle and apparently no pain be felt.
Her weight, [ should Judge. has been
reduced about twenty pounds, and
during her long somnolent period | do
not think she partOok of food amount
ing to more than three or four hearty
meals Her cessation from sleeping
did not average more than thirty
minutes every twenty-four hours.
Now, after having returned to her nor
NAL condition, she complains of still
feeling somewhat tired and that every
portion of her body aches. Her eyes
are very sensitive to light
4 find that the history Of the family
shows Rosa's case to be hereditary to
a certain extent. One of her brothers,
when II years of age. was taken with
rheumatic fever and slept the greater
part of six weeks, but would awaken
of his own accord three times q dav to
partake of hearty meal. The grand
father on the mothers side is report
ed to have had a similar experience
Rosa seemed entirely unable to con-
troll her great desire for sleep and
some features of her case are entirely
without precedent SO fer as [ am post
ed
Dr. Werner is of the opinion that
there exists small pendulous tumor in
a certain portion of the brain which
produces the pressure, especially
when lying on the back. He expects
to take the patient, when she is able.
to Mil yankee for further examination
as to her eyes by an expert ocul;st.