1 following relation .—At Vienna, some years since, a Hungarian
2 was, during a period of twelve months, in a comatose state, and
3 hia jaw-bones were so firmly closed that it was impossible to open
4 l,is month ; the physicians were consequently obliged to extract
5 some of his teeth, in order to administer some remedies and
6 broth, to preserve life; lie nevertheless at last recover d.
7 In the Philosophical Transact,inns for 1105 (Nov. and Dee.,
8 YoL XVII., p. 2177), the history of a case is related, which sup¬
9 ports what has been previously mentioned:—“ A man of about
10 twenty-five years of age, living in the neighbourhood cl Hath, fell
11 suddenly asleep, and continued for nearly a month in that state.
12 Two years afterwards, he was again in a similar condition: his
13 jaw-bones closed themselves; Ik was unable to cut, but fell
14 asleep, and continued to be deprived of sensation for seventeen
15 weeks. This occurred at the time when barley was being sown,
16 and when he again awoke it was quite ripe'. In the month of
17 August he again fell asleep. lie was bled ; stimulating remedies
18 were employed ; and every means of restoration were used which
19 the medical skill of the period could suggest, but in vain; be
20 did not awake until the month of November.” In Plott’s Natural
21 History of Oxfordshire (c. 8, sec. 11, p. 196, published in 1(577),
22 case is alluded to, which, not being generally known, 1 will
23 quote here, it being another evidence of the length of time
24 during which a person may exist without nourishment.
25 “Itebekah Smith, the servant maid of one Thomas White,
26 of Minster Love!, being above fifty years of ago, and of a
27 robust constitution, though she seldom ate flesh (it scarcely
28 agreeing with her), after she came from the communion on
29 Paini-Sunday, April 16, 1671, was taken with such a dry¬
30 ness in her throat, that she could not swallow her spittle,
31 nor anything else to supply the demands of nature; ami in
32 this state she continued, without eating or drinking, to the
33 amazement of all, for about ten viz., to the d!h.it of tunc,
34 being both St. Peters and Witney fair day; by which time,
35 being brought very low, her master made inquiry, and found
36 out a person v ho gave him mi amulet (for it was supposed