Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-23
TALKS OF HER LONG FAST;
OTHER STILL SLUMBERS
Physicians and Nurses at County Hos
pitaI AnxiousIy Await Moment
When Mrs. Beulah Haw-
klns Will Awake

Although it was expected that Mrs.
Buelah Hawkins would awake from
her strange trance, through which she
is sleeping. at the county hospital,
when She had reached the forty-day
limit she slept on undisturbed and
Yesterday slept for the forty-seventh
consecutive day.
This case, which is attracting the
attention of noted students of such
phenomena throughout the entire
country is the subject of careful and
painstaking study on the part of DR..
David Barber, the superintendent of
the county hospital. With his assist
ant physicians and nurse he is doing
all in his power to assist Mrs. Hawk
ins to regain consciousness.
This sleep into which she dropped
one night at her daughters home in
Los Angeles might appear to the lay
man to be an ideal rest cure, but 1t
is too unnatural" said DIR. Barber.
"It is not normal to sleep so soundly
and so absolutely without movement.
True, Mrs. Hawkins will turn over IN
her sleep as any tired person does
naturally, but her breathing is not
normal. as we have found upon ex-
amining her. Her body is being held
in an unnatural state all this time
and the sooner she is awakened the
better.
Sleep Wearing Her Out
.The truth is this sleep. instead of
being beneficial to her, is gradually
wearing, her out. The body is losing
vitality, the limit will be reached by
and-by and death will ensue unless
she is brought out of this strange
stupor, which is of the nature of
trance.
1--WE have tried to awaken her by
all means known to us. She spoke
once only. saying, Don't! Don'tv as
one who is suffering pain would do.
MANY people thought that she would
die when she reached the limit of her
former trance-forty days-but she did
not, sleeping through that day as
peacefully as through all the others.
"Her former sleep ended at the Tor
tieth day and was attended with no
evil results.
But we have taken all due care to
prepare for her awaking. There is
some possibility of her going insane
when she awakes from this sleep of
so many days. Accordingly all Will
be done to assist her to regain con-
seriousness in q perfectly normal state.
MANY have written to us from out
side places all over the country. The
methods OF aWaKlng ner SuBBeSlcu Ny
them have been tried, but all unsuc-
cessfully. We are waiting for nature to
arouse her before the body is so weak
ened by this unnatural rest that life
becomes extinct"
Appearance Is Striking
The appearance of Mrs. Hawkins is
striking. She is placed in a chair
by her nurse at the county hospital
during the day to afford the body a
change of position. She sits with eyes
twitching as though about
to awaken, with the lips slightly apart,
but with only the slightest movement
Of the body to indicate that she is
breathing.
If her arm is raised it falls back to
the side, but slowly. If her body be
bent forward it leans back in the
chair with sluggish motion, not recov-
ering it's position quickly as would
that of a person naturally asleep.
Visitors are not allowed to see Mrs.
Hawkins any more, as there was such
a large crowd of people to see her daily
that her daughter objected.
Meanwhile DIR. Barber and his as
are asking, "Will she awaken
in time to save her life or will death
come during this strange sleep of so
many days duration?"