The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-01


art could be of no use in this case.
Divine Healer Schlatter, accom-
panied by two friends, called at the nos
pital, and asked permission to apply his
method of the laying on OF hands
upon Daniels. He stated that it was
his firm conviction that if he could use
his alleged powers on the patient he
would have him on his feet within an
hour The resident physicians at the
hos tai telephoned Schlatter's request
to a member Of the board of directors OF
the Institution, who at once gave
peremptory order that Schlatter should
not be allowed to see Daniels.
The physicians at the hospital de-
clared that Daniels state is one of
natural catalepsy, and is not the result
of having been subjected to hypnotic
treatment If the latter were true, the
patient, they say, might be awakened
by the same MANS
No amount of electrical application
had any effect on the young man at the
hospital Hot needles applied to the
soles of his feet were also without value
in producing signs OF consciousness
But for the regular beating of the heart
and the irregular twiching of the eye
lids, Daniels was to all appearances a
dead man.
In an interview with DR.. Tomplins
who has the case in charge, he said that
most cases of catalepsy are due to an
affection Of the nervous system It is
an ally of certain diseases like cpl
lepsy, and consists of muscular rightly
due to the effect of disordered nerves
he said. 1.-THE condition of this patient
may or may not be due to the after
effects of sunstroke, which is said that
he has experienced at his home, accord
ing to information received yesterday
There is no certainty that the SunStr0ke
is responsible. There are a multitude
Of cases of catalepsy. and it would not
be reasonable to ascribe it absolutely
to sunstroke, even though the patent
once suffered from such stroke Ihe
usual cure for catalepsy IS the appllea-
ton of q sedative. This medicine mas
the effect of restoring the muscles OF
the body to their normal degree OF
s1IDpleness MeSmerism has been ap-
piled as a. cure for catalepsy in certain
forms, but it would not be reasonable
to expect that it would have an erect
in this case Where the patient IS orig
inally placed in state of caIa1epSy Dy
means of naeSnerisnn. that power might
be used TO restore him to his natural
condition. but where the stroke is due
to other causes mesmer1sm would hard-
" apply effectively. There is no telling
when this patient will recover. He may
return to consciousness at any moment
The State Journal representative also
interviewed another eminent physician
on the subject Of catalepsy, Dr. j. T.
johnson. He said.
ssCatalepsy is due primarily to nervous
disorder. / believe cases happen most
frequently among nervous women
There are certain forms of the affectlon,
one of them being apoplexy, another
epilepsy and still another. that degree
OF nervous hysteria wherein the muscles
become rigid. 1t usually lasts only
few hours, and I don't think there are
many cases where it has continued two
DAYS, as in this one. Epileptic convul-
sions are form of the disease. I re-
call that when a youth attended many
of the. fashioned colored camp meet
ings. Some of the men and women
would become so excited during the re-
vival proceedings that they would leave
their seats and jump up and down IKE
a lot of marionettes. That was the first
stage Of their nervous excitement. The
second stage was catalepsy, wherein
they would become rigid and entirely
unconscious. have seen eatalepsy ire
uuently contracted in that manner
There are several cures for the disease.
one is the application of chloroform,
and another the of an emetlc- The
effect of both Of these medicines IS to
relax the muscles This restores con-
seriousness Where catalepsy is caused
by nnesmerism the patient can be re-
Iieved by the same power, but II It IS
caused by nervous disorder, Desmer1sm
has no effect.
Word has been received here from
Ieavenworth to the effect that the
young mans father is q. wealthy farmer
near Kickapoo. No word has been as
vet received from his relatives
L. WILLIAM TdAV1S-