The St. Louis Republic., 1902-11-16
Bellevue Surgeons Puzzled by the
Peculiar Case of Mrs. Eliza
beth Cunningham.
BELIEVE IT is HYsTERIA.
Woman Whose Mouth Flies Open
and Eemains That Way Tries
In Vain TO Govern Maxil-
larry Muscles.
REPrRIIc SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York. Nov. l5.-Cats are responsible
for the state of the jaw OF Mrs. Elizabeth
Cunningham, who feels her mouth fly open
whenever enc of that species OF animals
starts toward her She was in Bellevue
rigid, and II another cat runs toward her
soon TIE institution may again have the
honor OF entertaining her.
1t is not safe for anybody TO mention cats
10 Mrs. Cunningham. for she becomes incig-
nant at the very name OF the furry crea-
lures.
Many IS the time that she has been walk
ing peaceably IN the street when she was
confronted by cat, and she was obliged TO
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 fo-ty-eight years In this world of sor-
rows ard of cats, the strange id:osyncrasy
from which she suffers is no joke.
She says that when she was only girl
OF 16 cat went suddenly mad in the house
in which she WAS then living with her par
ents. The creature started writhing and
splitting and scratching on its course
'' I fMPREssfoM is INDEL1BLE.
The impression made was one which she
She leaped TO a table. screaming. Then ner
screams suddenly stopped. She realized that
she was staring al the infuriated cat and
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 piece
of paper that she had tetanus, and was
treateu for the malady.
Afterwards she was cured of the supposed
attack.
Since then she has been annoyed repeat
edly by recurrence of the malady.
II 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 tie attack. In vain
does she Try 10 govern the maNillary mus
Jaw although the surgeons do not agree
with her diagnosis
SURGEONS ARE SURPRISED.
the TWO 0.,I1a1 ambulance surgeons can testify to
which Mrs Cunningham is subject. Doctor
HaEiwell responded TO an ambulance call
al No AL East seventeenth street. and
found Mrs. Cunningham surrounded by SYM
pathetic neishbors who were offering her
all kinds Of remedies for the relief Of the
rigid state OF her jaws.
TIE surgeon found that several of the
marked symptoms of lockjaw' were absent
and he manipulated the muscles in such a
way that the woman soon had the use OF
them He told her that she was suffering
from hysteria and returned TO the hospital.
Doctor Hailiwell was later surprised while
passing through one OF the wards to see
mouth wide open. He approached her and.
placing hand beneath 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 hospital shortly after
she had reSained the use of her jaws. She
had been brought there by Doctor Morris
who said she had tetanus.
In speaking OF the case, Doctor Halliwell
said that II was an unusual manifestation
OF hysteria- He declares that weil-known
specialist In nervous diseases had examined
the case, but had been unable to afford Mrs.
cunningham any permanent relief