The evening world., 1902-11-13
Mrs. Elizabeth Cunningham
Seized with a Remarkable
Form of Hysteria When Feline
Fixed Its Gaze Upon Her.
JAWS IN WCE-LIKE GRIP.
Experiences Which Began When She
Was Sixteen, Have Been Often
Repeated and Her Case Puzzles
Or. Holi!welI, Of Bellevue.

"I dare not look at a cat" said Mrs
Elizabeth Cunningham, of No. Al Eos
Seventeenth street, TO an Evening
World reporter to-day. "for fear o'
being seized with lockjaw. This may
appear to be n remarkable statement
but 1t Is true. and Will be borne out By
the doctors In Bellevue Hospital, who
treated me yesterday when. nfter look
ing at a big black cat. / was imme'
| diately seized with n hysterical ht thai
looked my jaws as II they were held In
a wise.
You cannot imagine the terrible suf'
fering I undergo from this dread fear
of cats. which dates back TO the time
was sixteen years old. There is some
thing mysterious about 1t, too. for up to
that time 1 was always strong and
healthy and extremely fond OF all mem
bers OF the cat family.
IL can remember that dreaful eX-
perIence as II It were to-day. We had
a beautiful Maltese cat. which was the
pet Of the family, and 1 Ia just dressed
her up prettily in some bright ribbons
and placed here on n chair. As 1 looked
at the cat l noticed that he big. green
eyes were gazing at me intently and
there seemed to be some sinister glitter
in their depths that made me creep all
over.
First Dreadful Experience.
IAN OF a sudden the cat leaped in the
air n began writhing around in a fit.
As ] watched Its contortlons 1 was
seized with a Mt OF hysteria, and when
1t passed OFF I found h my jaws were
set as II lncased In steel. The agony
was dreadful and lasted until several
physicians had worked on me and final
ly released the gripping muscles.
Ever since then when aacat looked
at me l felt as n l could see some
strange, wicked light cleaning In the
green depths OF the big eyeyballs and
then suddenly discovered that my jaws
were locked.
"Ons night last week an I was coming
home from the grocery store / noticed
a big black cat 81. on the curb look
ing up at mesin tLst mysteriously fas-
chatting way. l. turned AVA as quick
as I could. but BEFORE I had gone a
block ! found nat my jaws were set, 1
hurried home as fast Ms 1 could n
bathed my face in hot water and rubbed
the jaws until at last l could open my
mouth.
Taken to Bellevue.
ION Saturday might ] waA whiting
Mrs. Mary O'Brien. a friend. who lives
at No. 4l5 East Seventeenth street. IA
l was talking to her a large gray cat
came into the room and when 1t saw
me 1t stopped short and began to fix
me with Its eyes. Then II made a sud
den leap n jumped into my lap.
Though the cat was purrIng loudly. I
was Immediately possessed with a great
fear and became hysterical. When the
hysteria passed off l discovered that l
could not close my mouth. as the Il
Giles of my Jaw had locked in such n
manner as to leave my mouth gaping,
My friend sent for an ambulance and
I was taken to Bellevue, where. after
hours Of manipulation, the doctors sue
ceeded in helping me.
1T Is only when a cat looks at me
with an intent gaze that l am seized
with this awful hysteria. Knowing .nis
whenever l see a cat l endenvor to my
utmost to avoid It."
who attended Mrs. Cunningham, said
to-day that when she was brought TO
the hospital II was thought she had
tetanus. or lockjaw, but that upon close
examination II was found that she had
none Of the symptoms of hat dreadful
disease except the contraction of tho
muscles OF the jaw. He said 10 was one
OF the strangest cases ever brought
to his notice; The setting Of the muscles
said, and II so II was the strongest form
for hysteria to take on that he had
ever known or heard of.