SLEPT FOR 49 DAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3265, 10 July 1911, Page 3

SLEPT FOR 49 DAYS.

STRANGE CONDITION OE A RUS-

man frjsoneu

A remarkable case of protracted sleeping at Ekaterincsiav is being closely followed by the medical world (says a St. Petersburg message). The subject is a peasant aged 21, who is under arrest on a charge of having participated m an armed attack made on a passenger train in 11)08, when one guard was killed, and another seriously wounded. On March 19 the young man fell into a comatose state. Eyes and mouth were closed. All efforts to restore animation were without result. After the lapse of a fortnight, during which the prisoner iiad no food or drink of any description, he got up, said a prayer, and lay down again. The prison authorities then bcLon-u that lie was simulating lethargy, amb were not convinced to the contrary until his apparently lifeless body was driven in a cart to the Court of Justice and examined by a special comm.sshm, including medical experts.

He was then taken back io prison, where he remained until April M, still receiving no food and showing no s.gns of consciousness. Eventually be was removed to the Zemstvo Hospital, where ho is now lying. A) tifbuji i.-eO-ing was resorted to, vith satisfactory results, and the emaciated appearance of the patient lias now c : iangv.l Hr the better. The lower part of l i.s body is quite non-sentient. There are signs that the j r;sone v os recovering control of his facilities, and the hospital doctors are of opinion tint although he can neither move nor speak he hoars everything that : s sa:u to him. One of the exports watching the case goes so far as to main‘in tint, 'he auditory sense has been active during the whole 49 days that the lethargy ba.s already lasted.