TRANCE OF EIGHTEEN WEEKS

Evening Star, Issue 18333, 21 July 1923, Page 15

TRANCE OF EIGHTEEN WEEKS

"TAIERI FASTING GIRL"

SINGULAR RECALLED.

PATIENT NOW DEAD AT HALE OLD

AGE.

Miss \V ilholmina Rost, who .Red at Edondale on July 17, was the involuntary heroine, fifty-three years ago, oi one of the strangest cases of prolonged trance known to medical history. She lay for eighteen weeks, practically without respiration, and without any sustenance, save tho light stimulants which, on tho brief occasions when the rigors relapsed, her attendants forced over her tongue. For many years after recovery from the state ihe was practically an invalid, but in later years sho lived an active life, and died at the ripe age of seventy-three years. The case was much debated in 18/0, and the victim was known as ‘‘the

Taiori fasting girl.’' Miss Ross was the fourth daughter of the late Neil Ross and Barbara Ross, of Maungatua. The fiunily came to Otago in 1801, and stayed for a few months at Pelichet Bay, afterwards purchasing a farm at Maungatua. The surviving rnem bers of the family a v o scattered between Dunedin, Taieri, and Edendala districts. A grandson is Fireman George Ross, of the City Brigade. The deceased lady, the victim of this remarkable seizure, had lived for the past four years with her brother, Mr Daniel Ross, at Edcndalo. . , In a brief conversation with a ‘ Star reporter, Air Daniel Ross said that his sister had been subject to seizures in 1869 and 1870. These became more frequent about the middle of 18 10, and subsequently she wont into a trance, remaining in this state for many weeks. Her mother was in constant attendance, and as the victim was unable to take solid food her lips were moistened constantly with stimulants. 'She came -ut of the trance ono midday, but before any member of tho family could be palled she relapsed. Sho woko up again at exactly the same hour the following day, and this ebb and How of consciousness went on until sho partially recovered. For fifteen years afterwards she was practically bedridden, but later she regained strength and activity. THE CASE DESCRIBED.

Miss Ross was seen by a reporter of the ‘ Bruce Herald ’ about June 28, 1870. He described her as lying motionless as a corpse, with eyes and mouth closed, the only indication of life he could detect being a slight expansion and contraction of the nostrils. Drs Inglis and M'Brearty saw her, but they stated that they could do nothing. It was desired that some of the faculty in Dunedin should make a visit to her homo for the purpose of examining the case, and doing what was possible for tho sufferer. Dr Weber, of Tokomairiro_, subsequently visited the girl, and his report, furnished to tho ‘ Bruce Herald,’ was .most interesting. Ho saidi "Miss Wilhelmina Ross, twenty years of ago, the daughter of healthy parents, brothers and sisters also healthy, had suffered since she was about five years of age, frequently from neuralgia on tho left side of tho head and face, combined with spasms of the facial muscles. About three years previously she was first attacked with convulsive fits, after which sho lay for nine hours in a state of cataphora, that is, a state resembling profound sleep, only that the breathing was scarcely at all perceptible, out of which she awoke suddenly, as the parents said, smiling. The same attacks returned twice more at different intervals, always commencing with convulsive fits, and ending in a state of cataphora, which lasted the second time for twenty-four hours, and the third time (in April, 1869) for seven or eight days. It was stated that the girl, after waking on the first two occasions, knew all that had been passing about her. She said that she was afraid of being buried alive. During tho third occasion, however, con-

scionsncss seemed to have been fa.r more disturbed. The convulsions each time increased in strength, so that at times four men could with difficulty hold her. It was also observed that in the previous twelve mouths she partially lost the movement of the left arm, and then the movement of the tongue, as shown in difficulty of speaking and taking of food. THE LONG SLEEP. The attack spoken of by Dr Weber in his report commenced, like the others, with a seizure, and was succeeded by a state of cataphora, which lasted six weeks. The girl had during that time, only at intervals, taken a very little water, beef tea, or chicken soup; brandy and wine were also tried, but these stimulants did not seem to agree with her. The food was principally supplied in the evening, when the jaw, during the day firmly closed, used to relax. The food had to be carried over the-half-paralysed tongue. For the three, days previous to being seen by Dr Weber, Miss Ross had a convulsion' 4 fit every, evening, and had taken some little fluid food every day. Dr Weber saw Miss Ross again two or three days later, and remained with her for over three hours,, during which time ho had opportunity to observe her as well in a state of rest as in a succession of fits. He found the patient lying on her back, arms and legs extended, hands half open; the skin was dry, cold, and pale, with the exception of a slight tinge of red in the cheeks. Emaciation, though great, was not so great as one should expect. The muscles were flabby, the eyes closed, the mouth firmly shut, the nostrils distended, and slightly moving with breathing. The features were regular, and the expression placid. The pulse was irregular, weak, and compressible, but very distinct—about eighty-eight in the minute. Respiration was distinctly visible and audible by stethoscope, and about twenty in the minute and very short; the sounds of the heart and large arteries wore easily hoard, and the abdominal muscles fott contracted. There was apparently no feeling or consciousness, or other function of the senses.

The patient had five or six fits in succession after Dr Weber’s arrival; none of them, however, lasted more than a few minutes. They cnme on quickly, without much warning. The lips were firmly compressed and the breathing was very short and laboring. The whole body was thrown in a state of tetanus, the limbs feeling hard and stiff like wood. This state of tetanus lasted for about two minutes, when, just as suddenly, all the muscles relaxed again, the jaw alone remaining firmly closed. Like many diseases of the nerve centres of long standing, the symptoms were of a mixed character, hearing resemblance to several diseases. 'Dio case showed characteristic fits of epilepsy, general rigor of tetanus, impaired muscular power of partial paralysis, and that extraordinary state called cataphora or trance. That a person could live in this state for many weeks, and even months, with an exceedingly small supply of nourishment, was a long-established fact. In 1824 or 1825 there was a case of this kind in the University Hospital of Vienna, when a man fell suddenly in a state of cataphora, continued in it without interruption for eighteen months, came out of it a.s suddenly, and lived for several years afterwards. The change of natter in such cases was exceedingly slow, the patient, in well-expressed cases, lying perfectly motionless, respiration and circulation being barely perceptible. THE FATHER’S STORY. Writing to Dr Weber on July 21, the father of Miss Rosa stated that thrice that week his daughter had spoken a few syllables. Tho family tried every hour for three days to apply a blister, but could not, as whenever her head was touched she moaned most piteously. She appeared to be in her usual dormant state on tho fourth day, and when tho blister was applied she asked i “ Why do you torment me?” She was drinking more at that time, and her breathing was more free. The pulse was the same as usual, and she had a rain from tho heart to, the neck occasionally. Dr Weber thought it possible that by persevering in tho then strong stimulating treatment the sufferer would bo roused again to consciousness lasting for some time. PRAYER AMD SONG. With a view- of learning more about the case, a correspondent of tho Bruce ‘Standard ’ visited Miss Rosa on August 9, in company with Dr M'Broarty. They found her calm, talking sensibly, and her strength much improved. She was taking a little food occasionally. Her manner of conversation was quite changed from what it had been previous to her illness. In her lucid intervals she prayed and sang psalms and hymns with great fervor and expression, and her utterance wa,s quite distinct. At that time Dr M'Brearty considered tho case highly favorable.

About tho end of August Miss Ross recovered from tho trance, and was able to converse freely. She appeared to bo very weak, but did not seem to suffer great pain, and consumed very little food. Largo numbers visited her during tho previous two weeks. She received everyone with pleasure, conversed with them about what she saw and felt while under tho trance, exhorted them to be earnest Christians, advising them to pay more attention to religious duties. She made a good impression on many settlers in tho Maungatua district, as most of those who visited her and conversed with her appeared to have benefited by it. The deep anxiety she had for the spiritual welfare of all, and tho earnest manner in which eh a pleaded with everyone to sock salvation, could not fail to make a deep impression on even tho most careless. Although still weak, Miss Ross continued cheerful, and talked freely. Any stranger who paid her n visit could not, from her appearance, know but that she was in perfect health.