1 132
2 following I'elation . — At Vienna, some years since, a Hungarian
3 was, during a period of twelve months, in a comatose state, and
4 his jaw-bones were so firmly closed that it was impossible to open
5 his mouth ; the physicians were consequently obliged to extract
6 some of his teeth, in order to administer some remedies and
7 broth, to preserve life ; he nevertheless at last recovered.
8 In the Philosophical Transactions for 1705 (Nov. and Dec.,
9 Vol. XVII., p. 2177), the history of a case is related, which sup-
10 ports what has been previously mentioned : — “ A man of about
11 twenty-five years of age, living in the neighbourhood of Bath, fell
12 suddenly asleep, and continued for nearly a month in that state.
13 Two years afterwards, he was again in a similar condition : his
14 jaw-bones closed themselves ; he was unable to eat, but fell
15 asleep, and continued to be deprived of sensation for seventeen
16 weeks. This occurred at the time when barley was being sown,
17 and when he again awoke it was quite ripe. In the month of
18 August he again fell asleep. He was bled ; stimulating remedies
19 were employed ; and every means of restoration wrere used which
20 the medical skill of the period could suggest, but in vain ; he
21 did not awake until the month of November.'” In riott’s Natural
22 History of Oxfordshire (c. 8, sec. 11, p. 196, published in 1677),
23 a case is alluded to, which, not being generally known, I will
24 quote here, it being another evidence of the length of time
25 during which a person may exist without nourishment.
26 “Rebekah Smith, the servant maid of one Thomas White,
27 of Minster Lovel, being above fifty years of age, and of a
28 robust constitution, though she seldom ate flesh (it scarcely
29 agreeing with her), after she came from the communion on
30 Palm-Sunday, April 16, 1671, w^as taken with such a dry-
31 ness in her throat, that she could not swallow her spittle,
32 nor anything else to supply the demands of nature; and in
33 this state she continued, without eating or drinking, to the
34 amazement of all, for about ten weeks , viz., to the 29th of June,
35 being both St. Peter’s and Witney fair day ; by which time,
36 being brought very low, her master made inquiry, and found
37 out a person who gave him an amulet (for it was supposed