The St. Louis Republic., 1903-07-06
SARAH NOE WILL
NOT TOUCH FOOD
Girl Who Puzzled City Hospital
Physicians Is Starving
Herself.
HAS NOT EATEN FOR A WEEK.
Refuses 10 Recognize Her Rela-
tives. and Declares She Will
Not Eat Until Removed
From Home.

W. D. Pike OF Auburn, Ill, brother-in-iaW
of Sarah Nee. the strange girl who puzzled
the physicians at the City Hospital for a
week by her lapse of memory and inability
10 remember her name or that of her home
or people, reported TO the hospital physi-
clans yesterday that she still refused TO
recognize any of her far1ly as relatives and
also has declined to eat anything since last
Monday because she is detained at home.
She has lost flesh in consequence. and
from buxom girl of over l35 pounds she
has fallen away until she is little more than
shadow OF the healthy. robust young
woman that left the City Hospital in charge
OF her brother-in-law last Sunday.
From the first" said Mr.. Pike yester-
day, Sarah has insisted that her name IS
Blanche Williams. the one she gave when
taken into the hospital here. She also says
that she never saw her mother or father
or sisters before. and absolutely refuses to
recognize them as relatives.
We arrived home last Sunday and Sarah
at first refused TO leave the buggy in which
she was driven from the station, for the
reason. she said, that she did not wish to
go to the home of any one she did not know.
PARENTS DISTRESSED.
She was finally induced to get out Of the
buggy ard spent the night without further
protest. Monday she wanted to go away.
but could not. Since that time she has alb
solutely refused 10 cat a mouthfu, and de-
clares she will not touch food until allowed
10 leave Her parents are distressed over
her condition and fear she may starve her
self to death.
She has been told she is at liberty TO
leave when she gets well. but she insists
that she is not sick and wants to leave i'm
mediatey, nor will she consent to one of
the family accompanying her. She says Size
does not want the company of people whom
not know.
She also insists that she is still at the
City Hospital and asks for those she be-
came acquainted with while detained in the
institution. Her youngest sister Is the only
one of the family she will allow TO do any
thing for her, and she thinks she is nurse
in the hospital.
THINKS SISTER \ NURSE.
Sarah allows her to comb her hair every
morning and seems to enjoy being with
her, but she will have nothing to do with
the rest of the family.
She converses nationally of anything but
her identity. Speak to her of herself and
the vacant stare that has characterized
her expression when mention of her family
is made comes to her face and she shows ir-
ritation after an apparent effort to remem-
ber something that has escaped her.
The doctors at Auburn are as much
puzzled over her strange malady as were
the physicians in the City Hospital here.
AT times they think she is feigning and
then she will do or say something that will
make them change their minds. There is
no occasion for her shamming. No objec-
ton was ever made TO her going to St.
Louis. and her parents knew where she
was all the time. They have no desire to
compel her to stay at home IL they were
satisfied that her mental condition Is all
right These facts convince me that the
girls affiction is genuine and of kind
that can't be or has not yet been dag
nosed.'