The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-20
sTRANaE MALApY
OF Young Girl that Is PuEIlIns New
York Physicians.

OF a Young Girl that Is PuEIlinE New
York Physicians.
NEW YORK, Aug, l9.-Mamie Steln-
haus, thirteen years old, OF No, 1874 Ed
ridge street, is suffering from one of the
most peculiar and interesting maladles
that has ever come under the obserya-
ton of the doctors In Bellevue hospital.
where she Is now confined in Ward No.
"a.
The young girl Is evidently relaps!ng
into a state of hysterical lcthargy such
as made her an object Of extreme inter-
est 10 prominent physicians OF Phl'a-
delphia last December, The girl at that
time lay In trance for nineteen days,
succeeded by four weeks OF melancholll.
She refused all nourishment and could
not be aroused save by the playing OF
u violin, the notes OF which seemed to
affect her disagreeably one day per-
son tlckled her under the arm aud she
awoke, laughing and in perfectly nat
ural condition.
Mamie Is a very pretty glrl. with a
wealth of light hair, a white skin and
long black eye iashes. She and her twin
sister, Fannie, had escaped with the
usual ailments Of childhood up to No
vember 20. 1896. Mrs. Stelnhaus, who
had been visiting ne!ghbor that day
on returning 10 her home, found Ma
ME within one hundred feet Of the
house, acting strangely,
what IS the natter" asked her
mother, anxlously. Mamie refused to
speak and stared at her mother with
strained, wide open eyes, as though she
were a stranger
After doctor had Administered nour-
lshment to her the next day she told an
incoherent story OF two men fighting
and n policeman beating both with a
club. So far as could be learned 80
such incident occurred In the vicinity
Of her home.
The girl all that day was thought to
be dying. She took only tablespoon
ful of chicken soup, Of which she COM
plained bitterly, saying that II was so
sweet she could not get It down.
Mamie then slowly sank into a leth-
argyle state, followed next day by a
trance, 10 which succeeded cltalepsy,
during which her body became rigid.
She refused nourfshment, and during
the day her eyes were half open. At
night she closed them as II In sleep,
The popularity Of the case Is that It
began with leihargy, was succeeded by
a trance, which was followed by cata-
lepsy. These different conditions OBJ
talned each In turn FOR periods OF TWEEN
ty-four hours duration. She then re-
versed the conditions, and went through
them again.
Electricity and cold baths were tried,
but In vain. Music frequently affects pa
ttents la this state, and the physicians
In attendance tried It. The playing Of a
violin made the young girl twitch her
head as though she were disturbed by
IT, She has always dlslIked music But
It was not until she was tickled that she
suddenly awoke, laughing loudly, and
well.
Nantes parents thought that she had
entirely recovered, but week ago she
ran up to her father and whispered:
Papa, don't make any noise. There
are two policemen outside to arrest me"
The old mania that had preceded the
catalepsy had returned.
Mamie rapidly grew worse, becoming
extremely hystcrIcai She was sent to
Gouverneur hospital on Saturday, and
was yesterday transferred to Bellevue
hospital.