William Sharpey

“ Other circumstances about this time showed that she was suffering considerable uneasiness in her head. She was very impatient in the erect posture, and, when lifted out of bed, would not put her feet to the ground, but drew up her legs to her body, as if to force those who held her to lay her down again. ”

“ After this, the torpor continued for some time without being interrupted; but in the mean time the symptoms of pain in the head, and the uneasiness in the erect posture, gradually wore off, and Mrs. H——now no longer talked in her sleep. Her bowels were kept open by laxative medicine, which now did not operate so severely as to wake her. She had, since the beginning of June, had a blister applied to the nape of the neck, and three to the head at different periods; sinapisms to the feet were also had recourse to, and two or three times electric shocks were passed through her arms. ”

“ Her bodily health has since then undergone little change: she is still liable to be fatigued by slight exertion, after which she is inclined to sleep; but in this state She never remains long except during the night, when she sleeps like another person. The catamenia have twice appeared, viz., in September and in October, at both times to a greater extent than usual; her bowels still require laxative medicine; but her appetite continues good, and she has evidently gained flesh since her recovery. ”

“ She has not seen above a dozen people since her illness, and she looks on these as all that she has ever known.
Among other acquirements she has recovered that of reading; but it was requisite to begin her with the alphabet, as she at first did not know a single letter. She afterward learned to form syllables and small words, and now she reads tolerably well, and has shown herself much interested in several stories previously unknown to her, which she has read since her recovery. ”

“ When in this state her eyes were nearly closed, she breathed softly, and, in short, very much resembled a person in natural sleep, except that when she happened to fall asleep in a position in which the body naturally requires to be supported, as for instance on a chair, she did not lean forward or backward as is commonly the case, but sat with her body quite erect, and her head gently inclined to one side. ”

“ She took food in sufficient quantity, and often with evident relish; but it required much entreaty to make her take the first two or three mouthfuls. The pulse varied a little, but on the whole was nearly natural; during sleep it was commonly from fifty-six to seventy, and somewhat more when awake. Her bowels were very costive, and constantly required the use of laxative medicine ”