The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-28
4 wOMAN'S CURIOUS MANIA.
Pineaf Gland Causes Remarkable


A postmortem examination just
held over the body of Mrs. Evelyn
Freiburg, of this city, discloses a case
in which the love of beautiful owes
not only caused a horrible death, bur
also probably the most wonderful case
of atavism on record, in which the
woman practically lived in a prehis-
toric age.
Mrs. Freiburg delighted in sweet
peas and roses and her rear yard was
a garden of these flowers. She was
accustomed to gathering great arm
fuls OF them and at times would bury
her face among their petals in the
vague yearning to lose her fair
identity in the love of their fragrance
and their symmetry of form. In this
way, It is said, she contracted a dis
ease that resulted in insanity and re-
ceived her death blow from the very
beauties she loved
Mr.. Freiburg, a short time ago,
commenced to feel acute pain in her
head. She consulted q physician, who
made an attempt 10 diagnose her case
and failed. All remedies that were
applied afforded no relief, and finally
when the pains grew more severe 9TH
er physicians were called in cOnSulta-
ton. Later, h became the victim of
Authorizations, and while at no time
violent, the form CT insanity was Of a
most peculiar nature. Although never
a student Of peology or archaeology,
she seemed to live in a prehistoric age.
She saw before her and described per-
fectly a strange species of animals
and birds, the former on the order Of
the dinosaur and m~astodon. Many Of
these correspondent with those describ-
ed in geOlogieS, the skeletons of which
are found in the museums, but large
number were such as had never been
heard of.
1t was though she were living on
another planet, but since the post
mortem the doctors have come to the
startling conclusion that she was men.
tally carried back to a prehistoric 6
and they are now setting down al
they can remember of the strange case
for the benefit of science.
The postmortem examination dis
closed a small worm in the Pinea,
gland or the third eye" and the sup
posed seat of the soul. The theory is
that the insect was inhaled from the
flowers and from the nasal organ
worked it's way through some sieve
like bone into the skull and finally
reached the Pineal gland, where i
died.
The doctors are working on the evo.
luton theory. which is now generally
accepted, that the Pineal gland was il
ages gone by a third eye in the human
read. In Mrs. Freiburg'S case thi:
gland was abnOrmally developed anC
the presence of a foreign body caused
pronounced atavism. She finally los
the use of her ordinary senses anC
gained ones which have been lost Il
human species for countless ages. The
irritation caused by the worm on tn
nerves of the third eye" it is be
lieved. carried impressions to the brazil
of the surroundings when that organ
was in use. Ii brought back to tn
woman memories of all the ancestral
fears and battles of primeval life AM
the long and tedious process of tn
development of the human family. Sh
often saw before her and attempte,
to converS with a strange inviSibl
being. She would occasionally repea
slowly a few words in an utterly un
known language, as though she wer
saying them after some one. Her sens
of smell was intensely acute
The sight of one animal tina sh
fancied to See in her insanity, an
which from her talk it is now be
leved was the mental image of
mammoth, invariably caused her grea
fright. She would rush to her bed, an
cllmDlnS on II, lie down n peer owe
the edge at a creature which evident
ly seemed to her to be at some dis
lance below her. All the while sh
would scream and wave her arms I
I frighten it away.
It is believed her insanity made he
bed d ave the refuge of prehistorI
; man. h would invariably seek it
l fear. 1t was evident that she was liz
l ing a wild life in a country that is a
: but a theory to modern man and thu
: h saw animals that at least closel
=. resembled those of the Neozoic ag
: Every action went to carry out tn
9 theory. Not until after the postmortel
, did 1t occur to any one, that the w
l man was IN reality living in a pr,
l historic period. Consequently h,
ways of living and the strange lal
{ guage h used at times were not car
fully obServed.-Council Bluff Ga
Il Dispatch.