The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-14
CATS BANE or
HER EXISTENCE.
Woman's Mouth Files Open at
Sight Ofth0 Animal.
BELIEVE IT IS HYSTERIA
She Has 10 Visit Z Hospital 10 Have Her
Licked J.ws RsIapssd, and Surgeons
Are Puusd.

New York, Nov. n--Cats are RESPONSE
BILE for the state OF the jaw Of Mrs. Eliza
beth Cunningham, who feels her mouth
1y open whenever one OF that species OF
animals starts toward her She was in
Bellevue hospital twice yesterday with
her jaws fixed and rigid, and IL another
cat runs toward her today the institution
may again have the honor OF entertain
ing her.
1t is not safe for anybody to mention
cats to Mrs. Cunningham, for she be-
comes indignant at the very name OF the
furry creatures Many time while walk
ing peaceably in the street has she been
confronted by a cat. and been obliged 10
walk home speechless, for the muscles of
her jaws became cramped and beyond
the control OF her will.
To the estimable woman. who has lived
for forty-eight years In this world Of sor-
rows and OF cats, the strange idiosyn-
Grassy from which she suffers Is no Joke.
She says that when she was only girl
OF sixteen a cat went suddenly mad In
the house In which she was then living
with her parents. The creature started
writhing and splitting and scratching on
Its course through the dwelling.
IMPRESSION INDELIBLE.
The impression made was one which
she declares she shall never be able TO
forget. She leaped 20 table. screaming
Then her screams suddenly stopped. She
realized that she was staring at the in
furiated cat and that her mouth was
open as II she were shouting. but not
word issued from her lips. Her jaws were
tightly wedged. The cat disappeared, but
the Jaws of Elizabeth would not come
back. She wrote on a piece OF paper that
she had tetanus. and was treated for the
malady. Afterward she was cured or the
supposed attack.
Since then she has been annoyed re-
peatedly by a recurrence of the malady.
If the cat goes about its daily affairs
and pays no heed to her she can control
her Jaws. The moment the creature faces
her Mrs. Cunningham has the attack. In
vain does she try to govern the maxliary
muscles As far as she Ia concerned sne
has lockjaw. although the surgeons do
not agree with her diagnosis.
SURGEONS SURPRISED.
Two ambulance surgeons can testify to
the peculiar manifestation OF hystena 10
which Mrs. Cunningham Is subject. pr;
Halliwell yesterday morning responoeo
to an ambulance call at No. 447 East sew
enteenth street and found Mrs. cunning
ham surrounded by sympathedc neign-
bors, who were offering her all kinds or
remedies for the relief of the rigid state
OF her Jaws. The surgeon found tnat
law were absent, and he manipulated the
muscles in such a way that the woman
soon had the use Of them lie told hes
that she was suffering from hysteria and
returned TO the hospital.
DR. Halliwell was surprised yesterday
afternoon while passing through one OF
the wards to see Mrs. Cunningham sitting
up in bed with her mouth wide open. He
approached her and. placing hand pe-
meath her jaw. told her that there were
no cats in sight, and that she had better
be calm The Jaws clicked back. Mrs.
Cunningham was able TO leave the hospi-
tai shortly after she had regained the use
of her Jaws. She had been taken there
by DR.. Morris, who said she had tetanus;
In speaking of the case DR.. Halliwel
said that IL was an unusual manifestation
Of hysteria He declares that we'll
known specialist IN nervous diseases had
examined the case, but had been unable
to afford Mrs, Cunningham any perma-
nent relief