THE TAIERI FASTING GIRL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2248, 21 July 1870, Page 2

THE TAIERI FASTING GIRL.

Dr. Wobcr, of Tokomairii'o, Imsvisifud this girl, and his report, furnished to the 1 Bruce Herald,’ will no doubt be road with interest. The Doctor says : —• “ Willolmhia Ross, 20 years of age, the daughter of healthy parents, both alive, brothers and sisters also healthy, has suffered since she was about 5 years of ago, frequently from neuralgia on tho left side of the head and face, combined with spasms of the facial muscles (as tho parents expressed themselves —“ they saw the pain working in the face.”) About three years ago, she was first attacked by convulsion fits, which seem according to description to have been of an epileptic character, after which she lay for 9 hours in a state of cataphora, that is, a siato resembling profound sleep, only that the breathing was scarcely at all perceptible, out of which she awoke suddenly, as they said, smiling. The same attacks murned twice more at different intervals, always commencing with convulsion fits and ending iu a state of cataphora, which lasted (ho second time 21 hours, and the third time, in April, 18159, for 7 or 8 days. It is stated that the girl, after waking on the first two occasions, knew all that had been passing about her, and said she was afraid of being buried alive. During the third, however, consciousness seems to have been far more disturbed. The convulsions each time increased in strength, so that at times four men could with difficulty hold her, and her shrieks were hoard far away. It was also observed that within tho last twelve months she lost —partially—the movement of the left arm, and latterly the movement of the tongue, as shewn in difficulty of speakipg and taking of food. Tho present attack commenced, like thpso before, with convulsion fits, and was succeeded by a state of cataphora, which now lasts above six weeks. The girl lias during that time, only at intervals, taken a very little water, beef tea, or chicken soup; brandy and wino were also tried, but seemed not to agree with her. Tho food was principally supplied in the evening, when the jaw, during the day firmly closed, used to relax. It had to be carried over tho half paralysed tongue, when on reaching the fauces degtition ensued. For the last three days previous to my seeing her, she had 9 convulsion fit every evening, and had taken some little final food every day. 10-day, July 7, she had a fit about eleven o’clock a.m.

“ Present State. —I saw the girl about one o’clock to-day, and remained with her for above three hours, during which time I had opportunity to observe her as well in a state of rest as in a succession of til s, which, however, were not byfarsoatrongaslhey used to bo. 1 shall describe her first in a state of rest, Xhe patient is lying op her hack, arms and

legs extended, bands half open ; the skin is dry, cold, mid pale, except u slight tinge of red on the cheeks ; emaciation, though great, is not so great ns one should expect; muscles flabby ; hair and eyes brown ; eyes closed ; eyeballs turned upwards, the left outwards, the right inwards ; the pupils are of middle size, slightly undulating against sudden light; the mouth firmly shut, and a little drawn to the right side; the nostrils distended, the left more so than the right, and slightly moving with breathing ; the features are regular, their expression placid ; the head is of moderate size and well formed, the forehead of ordinary expansion, not prominent ; pulse irregular, weak, and compressible, but very distinct—about 88 in the minute ; the lungs apparently healthy, respiration distinctly visible and audible by stethoscope, respiration about 20 in the minute, very short, the breath feels-cold ; the sounds of the heart and large arteries are easily heard, the first sounds are dull, the second sound of tin* right heart increased and metallic ; the abdominal muscles feel contracted ; the tympantic sound of stomach and intestines dull and short. A limb, when lifted up or bent, sinks back, according to the law of gravity, There is apparently no feeling nor consciousness, or other function of the senses. No passage of the bowels for the last three weeks. As already stated, the patient had a fit about one o’clock on (be day I saw her, and not long after my arrival she had five or six in succes sinn ; none of them, however, lasted more than a few minutes. They came on quick, without much warning ; the face assumed a frowning expression; the forehead gets wrinkled botli horizontally and vertically ; the eyelids open and the eyeballs side to side ; twitching of the nos'trusWiul angles of the mouth ; slight froth appears between the firmly compressed lips ; at the same time the hands are clenched, the arms and legs begin to beat spasmodically, with quickly increasing violence, the head is thrown backwards, and the spine arched upwards. The breathing during this time is very short and laboring, when suddenly after one or two loud screams (I should rather call them spasmodic aspirations, producing a sound); the tvltole body is thrown in a state of tetanus, the limbs feeling hard and stiff like wood, frills state of tetanus lasts for about a couple of minutes, when Just as suddenly, with a deep drawn sigh, nil the muscles relax again, the jaw alone remaining firmly closcfijfiuul the eyes for some time rolling. I saw*live or six of those attacks in quick succession, but am inclined to think that manipulating the girl had something to do with bringing t hem on. I may mention that after these fits the face got for some time quite suffused with red, the skin warm all oyer, except on the extremities, and the pulse to about 98, but quickly sunk again. Reminding again that I have seen the patient only once, and in a state rather different from what others saw her in, I venture to make a few remarks on the nature of the case. Taking into consideration the previous history—viz., that the girl suffered since early youth, frequently from headaches, neuralgia of the face, together with spasms of the facial muscles; that these gradually increased in severity ; that at the age of puberty epileptic convulsions supervened, followed by a state of apparent insensibility ; that these, on each recurrence, increased in strength and duration; that lately a partial paralysis of (he left side (the same as was affected by neuralgia) showed itself, there can bo little doubt that we have before us a material disease of the brain, 'of slow progressive development, the scat of which may be either the substance of the brain, or oue of its cavities,'or one of the membranes enveloping it. >CLike in many diseases of the nerve, centres of long standing, the symptoms arc of a mixed character, bearing resemblance to several diseases. So we have the characteristic fits of epilipsy, the general rigor of tetanus, the impaired muscular power of partial paralysis, and lastly, that extraordinary state called cataphora or (ranee. That a pevou can live in this state for many weeks, and even months, with an exceeding small supply of nourishment, is a long-estab-lished fact. In 1524 or 25 there was a case of this kind in the University Hospital of Vienna, when a man fell suddenly in a stste of cataphora, continued in it without interruption for 18 months, came out of it as suddenly, and lived for several years afterwards. The change of matter in such oases is exceeedingly slow, the patient, in well expressed cases, lying perfectly motionless, respiration and circulation being hardly perceptible.