SLEEPING INTO DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 3 January 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

SLEEPING INTO DEATH.

STKANGE STORY OF A TRANCE

An autopsy was performed yesterday, says the New York correspondent of the "Dally Telegraph," writing on. Sunday, November 9th, on Nellie Corcoran, a g'n 19 years of age, who, on October 18th, fell Into a trance or coma, from which the efforts of the staff of the hospital to which she was removed failed to nwnk n her, and out of which she passed Into den'h ou Saturday morning. The post rnorte i-. failed to give any Indication of the cave of her collapse, as every organ was In a healthy condition, and the brain and spinal cord which are almost invariably the sear of disorders of the kind which affected Miss Corcoran, were perfectly normal. Leading pathologists declare' that the , unique feature of the case is not so mucn that the autopsy failed to disclose the cause of death, as that death occurred. Dr. Theodorii Janeway performed the post mortem, and at its conclusion he said: "The autopsy gives us no data from whien to form any conclusion as to the cause of the condition which existed during life." A microscopical examination of the nervous system Will be made subsequently. Many well known pathologists attended the autopsy and • reiterated the view or Dr. Janeway that the case is a very unusual one. They are generally of opinion that the trauce resulted from hysteria, and they found support of this theory Iα the fact that no post mortem evidences were discovered. Pending the result of the microscopical examination, the death certificate will not be filled out, but will be accompanied by a note explaining that the cause of death is nof known. The examination will occupy sis or seven Hays. When the girl was first taken to the hospital the doctors were myst'fled by her condition. Her pulse was feeble, and with the lapse of days her form became emaciated, ana her cheeks perfectly colourless. She had every appearance of death, and yet the heart continued to beat as usual. Food was administered to her three times a day. Last Friday it was thought that the end was near. The heart beats became weaker and weaker, and in the evening were almost imperceptible. Mrs Corcoran, the girl's mother, was at her side during the night, and says that her daughter spoke to her faintly as follows: "Mamma, I am dying. I can see the angels." At one o'clock on Saturday morning the doctors who had been watching the case said that her heart had stopped beating. The stethoscope could not detect a sound, but naturally enough, when the passage from life to death had Been so nearly imperceptible, and when the appearance of death had been present for days, there <fpas a doubt as to whether or not it was a case of suspended animation, or of actual decease.