A TRANCE=LIKE SLEEP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 7

A TRANCE=LIKE SLEEP.

GOULD NOT BE BOUSED.

■WEDNESDAY TOi SATURDAY .SNOOZE. , (BV TEMiaRAI'II—PiIEBS ASSOCIATION.) / ■, Chrlstchuroh, February 23. ' • A case that excitcd considerable interest in'j Lyttelton 'yesterday 'and on Friday was that of Frederick:' Baker, a saloon steward on the R.M.'S. Ruapeliu/' of ■ the .Now Zealand Shipping Company's lino. : : Bakor, iturned. in as usual at .Wellington oil Wednesday; night, but he did not wake up the following morning,' and all efforts fo rouse him/were-of ho avail, although they were kept up at intervals; all day 011 Thursday. The Ruapehu left Wellington that .afternoon for' Lyttelton,; and arrived yesterday morning,' ■ but still no amount of shaking i could : , rouse, the man .from his trance-like sleep. His pulse was quite regular,' his heart normal, "and his breathing was . perfectly natural. .: ■_ ; Only twice during' his slumber did the man . show .'an.V . signs of activity. The first occasion .Was .611'.Thursday 'evening, when lie left, his bunk,. .and went up 011 deck'.,as if to stretch . his, legs. . He seenied . to. be. in a /dreamy, state; but was perfectly , unconscious; Ho was' conducted back' to 'his bunk, but later on it to those watching him as if he were; having aii' unpleasant dream, for he commenced to throw tho pillows and bedclothcs about. "' , After the-vessel was berthed at Lyttelton. yesterday, Dri Upham, port health officer at Lyttelton, - was- sent for. to examine. Baker, and try to rouse him from his extraordinary sleep. Dr.; Upham iuformed.a reporter that lie made all the tests ho could think of to dis'covor the' causo of the man's long sleep, but without a vail. Ho was tested for cerebral hemorrhage, for cerebral embolism, diabetes, Bright's disease, epilepsy, apoplexy, . for. fractured skull, and for paralysis, but lie responded to 110110 of these. In these . cirbuirjstances Dr. Upham decided ; tlio best, courso to pursue would be to send the man to tho Christ-church Hospital for treatment, and this was accordingly clone, the sufferer being ' admitted at about four o'clock. Ho was given a hot bath and put •'to/bed, and_:at 6.30 110 woko up and regained consciousness.. Baker stated that lid remembered nothing after; retiring to his bunk on Wednesday ovoning; He had been playing cards, and experienced a, several headache, but' no other symptoms. Baker will remain in tho hospital until Monday for medical attention.