The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1904-08-19
A Modern - -
Dip Van Wrinkle

The case Of a woman who slept for
twenty consecutive years. tho longest
period OF sleep that has been observed
up 20 the present time, In reported by tho
French ncurologiat, NJ LanccreauN, IN
tho bulletin de i'Aoadcmlo az Medocine
uaSis, March Sd The patient. described
as hargnerite d, was Of a nourotio
and hYelerlcnl family and had always
been delicate and nervous on May On.
1879, following a severe fright. she WIS
,,ei,ed with violent attacks OF hyaterla.
which she fell Into the profound sleep
above mentioned, which was interrupted
every month or every month and a half
hy sudden conVulaivo attacks During
this time she was kept alive entirely by
Injections OF nourlHhmentl The writor
thus describes hor awakening, which oc..
OF her twenty years sleepi
ION May 81. 1908, az q O'Clock IN tho
d Sniy seaed WITH P srss ~ Sy.t s4a,
similar % that or the beEinninF q hs ,S
patholorlc state ON the 2tth IA
hsE sohvglslon las,ed nearly fsgf hours
iient. without being positively awakened,
ssgeceSdod IN moving herself ana Raising
"on the following day, the 25,h. the con-
Nulalvc movements woro not renewed
~. B. passed her hand before her
eyes as n 20 remove a veil. thennopene
them, appeared To see and 20 hdhr. and
tried 70 recover possession OF herself and
put herself In Communication with the
exterior world for she underworld 10 I'M
derstand some words which a priest nd
'on the 10Th, at O'Clock in tho morn.
Ing. she Ia more awake, opens her eyes
plnohlng of the skin OF the arm. and says
w a weak volCr that she has been
pinehod, The attack Of sleep
Miih All ~ accessory symptoms has def
,'rhen. gradually reeaining self.oon-
selouancss. she recognizes with dlficuliy
the persons about her. Hho n informed
OF the present date. but she has tfoubla
ny nrat 70 recall tho order OF succession
ed h sa sRS d.an, q s.l memory y &c car
EubconsolouH OF blank In her existence.
hho asks her axe. her mother, subtract
ing the years passed IN sleep. tells her
70 her. as being her sister. "a niece burn
the evening Of the beginning Of hor sleep.
However, u q dlmcult for her TO enter
into precise dotnila with regard 20 past
cvenia II can be proven that she has
lost the remembrance OF tho occurrences
Immediately preceding her sleep. while
memory of earlier occurrences. She does
not rcmemher other having been sick or
having had her teeth extracted. or any
Of the unusual Incidents during the
course Of her Illness II IN dim
cult to affirm that aho may not have
been, up 10 certain point, conscious OF
Liegeolr. who had occasion TO visit her
several wears before her death, and who
attempted to treat hor by suggestion,
thinks that she was not ABSOLUTELY un.
conscious, and the same opinion Was ~ q
pressed by DR. VQlsin. by Or salpetriero.
and also by Or Farez.
HAD she awakened under more favor
able conditions. tho patient would IN
doubleday have gradually recovered her
memory Indeed. Ike an eplleptio after
an attack. she was absolutely uncon-
ncioua Of tho circumstances which had
immediately preceded her crises Of uloep.
whereas she remembered earlier events
/ very well. and confirmed also the opinion
letharEio sleep was only modified
hygterio-epileptic attack
"One cifcumslnnoo which particularly
impressed DR. Charlicr Was that on her
awakening ". b spoke the dialect ~
her childhood and not that OF the years
! which preceded her attack. In
| spite of the psychic notifications result
| ing from this extraordinary affection. In
telligenee was restored no less completely
clearly 10 question: nut To her, and would
recall on the 70 owing day what had
hnpp0ned to her \ ths evening"
The womanh CHrta occurred Nav "a
/ 1908. the third day after her awak6ning
/ from her continuous sleep Of twentv
/ years and two months, With regard 10
| the nature Of protracted Hleep In this and
similar cases, ~ iancercauK comments
Els this sleep natural sieep7 II does
not seem 80. for N We look At the ewes.
we perceive that the syelids are piipi.
/ tAtinE. blinking. aEtatod by little culver
/ inFH. or by throhhlng, and n they are
l opened n Ia common 10 ind n sort OF
| atrahlsmua which does not appertain 10
| normal sleep. BESIDES the silence In
/ such caHeu IL always absolute. f0f noise
/ IL not heard. and pinchinE tho skin as
/ we'll az the most diverse torturas. can hs
/ practised without the subjects retaining
/ the least recollection on awakening
''rhe title Of the sieeper applied 10 this
| patient and 20 most nf the patients OF the
! same nature n not. therefore. exact, since
| n IA not a question Of natural sleep, but
| rather 81 pathol0Rc state which mani
| festly II 20 he compared 20 the state OF
! Information peculiar 10 certain animal
| species. among whlcah, al given mo-
nent the life of relation ana the vege-
] Jrranaiation made Tor The Literary Di-
Eest