Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-24
SLEEPS WHILE
NURSES WA ITCH
AND WONDER
WOMAN LIES IN 4 STATE OF
COMA
STRANGE PATIENT PUZZLES
PHYSICIANS
PUZZLES
Mrs. Beutah w. Hawkins Is Now
Slumberlng Through Her Eight
zenith Day Without Signs
of Waking

Just how long Mrs. Beulah w. Haw-
kins will remain In the state of coma,
with touches of hysteria in it, as de-
scribed by the physicians at the county
hospital, where she is being treated,
cannot be estimated. This is the third
time in her life that Mrs. Hawkins has
fallen into a sleep from which nothing
can arouse her.
Two years ago she slept forty days.
She could not be aroused by any means
and finally awoke of her own volition,
apparently.
Mrs. Hawkins is Sd years old, the
wife of a miner living in Los Angeles.
She has always been of a quiet dispo--
sition, fond of her family and devoted
to her daughter and husband. TWO
weeks before she fell into her present
sleep she began to show signs or
drowsiness. She did not become irr1ta-
BILE or act as though she were SICK. she
simply became more andsmore droWsy
until she finally fell into the peculiar
condition which they term sleep for
lack of any other descriptive phrase.
But that it is not the customary
sleep which comes to every one when
they lie down to rest is certain.
MS 0tCCR 10 tNOh
'"There have been such cases of coma
BEFORE" said one of the physicians yes
terday. How to awaken the patient,
however, always seems a mystery. We
have no idea as to when she Will
awaken. It is difficult to depict the
future. Certain it is that this abso-
lutte quiet in which Mrs. Hawkins IS
living now is not healthfuI or restful.
You will notice her breathing is slow
unusually so, in fact. She takes no
nourishment, save what she is inter-
ally compelled to. Her hands are not
cold, her heart is good. But no means
taken so far have been sufficient to
arouse her., One thing is certain. This
thing cannot go on forever. She sim
ply cannot remain in this state OF ap-
solute quiet, taking but the liquid
nourishnent forced upon her, and not
living her normal life. But as to when
she would die, that is hard to tell. we
can never estimate just how much sur
fering a patient will stand. she might
be able to endure this long time.
Sitting in her chair, Mrs. Hawkins
appeared yesterday as though she hao
fallen into a doze, with the exception
that her hands, instead of lying imp
in her lap, as is usually the case with
nerson sleeping in her position, were
hanging straight from her side.
EyeIids Culver Constantly
Every moment the eyelids, which are
closed. shudder as though she We're
about to wake UP in an instant, Whlle
the chin will have tremulous mo.ion,
as when a person is about to come OUT
of a deep slumber. The breathing Is SO
quiet there is no movement OF the
chest perceptible.
Some doubt seems to be felt py pny-
sicians and nurse as to whetner MIS-
Hawkins knows what is going on
around her. Apparently orders are
obeyed occasionally, as though the pa.
tient heard the commands uttered, yet
at the same time she might De actiiis
of her own volition, automatically III
this respect. - .,,,,,
When she is placed in bed she Will
turn over during the night as any per
son would do naturally. But she uoes
not snore. .a 10
that the body seems to be slow to relax
after being bent in one position. w men
tba arm is Strengthened out 1t Will lali
10 +ba nosition at the side quite slowly
and in the same way the pouy whsli
hent forward somewhat will not regain
its upright position in the chair TOT
several minutes possibly, gradually re-
gaining its former position
Seems About to Awaken
The gray haired, fragile woman sat
yasterdav In the flood of golden sun
shine which filed her pleasant room q.
the county hospital. Near her We're
nbvsicians and nurses, ready ana anX-
ions to assist her back to lie. But .lle
evelids, closed over the eyes, aitnousi "a
perpetually quivering, as thousn iUa
aver on the verge of wakening' heVe,
onened. and the chin, which moved
with tremulous motion, as though the
mouth were about to open ana SPEAK,
never opened the lips. The lace ioo ots
tired weary to death, as though the
hodv had been worn out with overwor I'm.
All the food that is given her Is nillh
and other light substances, sucn aS
prepared infant foods. rms is given
three times daily, and often tne ps a,5
annarentlv rebels against this enrorceu
diet The life which lies hidden unoer
the shroud of sleep would seem "
dread the full glare of CONSCIOUSNESS;
Go Mrs Hawkins sleeps on. inc oe-
voted husband and daughter call on her
a. tbe hospital, watch the tired race on
tha inflow. but cannot rouse her with
words of love or startling cries.
Noises Do Not Arouse Her
wben a shutter in the building slams
~ . door Ia closed noisily the sleeper Is
not startled apparently, but simply re-
r,ains in that state of "Nirvana Where
she is apparently as unulstur. ueu %
though resting under the run1atnoii ~, =
leagues of ocean waves: WHelnoi ~
n lous behind the closed lids, see the
Ieee,,tiful visions of the night OF
, uJ% her soul itself is poised IN
measureless vista of blank space.
thughtless, feelingless, senseiess-ea.,a
not be told until after this strange
sIeener Is aroused from her slumpers.
Onlv once has Mrs. Hawkins spoken
s;nca she fell into this trance or sta.o
~ coma She was injured In some way
while being moved about the room anu
eyciairned. "Don'tl Don't!'
Sleeps for Seventeen Days
ant these words are the only ones
mich she has spoken since she was
,s..n,,,srbt to the hospital, on February q
~ ~ n'clock in the morning. She rel
info tbe sleep two days peIore peiis
hrought to the hospital, SO IN all sho
nos Teen sleeping seventeen Gays.
Rut II is a long sleep that mas ~ ny,
,,ahinq. and as the hours and days ron
W, tha county hospital physicians are
unable to discover any slight inuic s'an.,l
NJ returning consciousness OF TINS sleep
H., woman, whose case Is propapiy oiie
~ the most peculiar the institution mas
aver had within its walls.
WV ---,v---s-s-sr------
Cease Your Worry
=, ,orr child is threatened with Group give
n chamberlain's Cough Remedy. and an
40