The Case of a Cataleptick Woman: Communicated to the Royal Society by Richard Reynell, Apothecary, London

Wheel; for the fresh Air may be driven in a very little Time to the Place where the Men are at work, though at the Distance of 2, 3, or 4 Miles, and therefore also to any intermediate Space; whereas the Practice now is, either to make a double Drift with Communications between the two for the Circulation of the Air, or to sink perpendicular Shafts or Pits from the Top of the Hill over the Adit; both which Methods are very expensive, and (I dare say) will, upon Tryal, be out-done by the Application of my Machine. I am, S I R, Your most humble Servant, J. T. Defaguliers. IV. The Case of a Cataleptic Woman: Communicated to the Royal Society by Richard Reynell, Apothecary, London. ANN Bullard, a Servant, about one and twenty Years of Age, had been for some time irregular in her Menses, and very much afflicted for the Loss of a Friend. July the Tenth, 1730. she complained of a Pain in her Head, Sickness in her Stomach, with a general Disorder; and took Gascoign's Powder for a Sweat: Next Morning, July the Eleventh, about Nine o'Clock, she was found in Bed, senseless, stiff, and void of Feeling, with her Eyes shut; and, upon the first Surprise, it was thought she was dead. When I came, I found her in a true Cataleptic Fit, senseless, without Motion, her Limbs very stiff, but warm, and not easy to be bent; but in whatever Posture any Limb was put, it continued in the same, whether erect, or reclined: Her Respiration was good, but her Pulse low, and irregular; she had no Catchings, or convulsive Motions, but could not, by any Means used, be brought to herself (in any respect.) A Vein was opened in the Arm, and twelve Ounces of Blood taken away; she bled freely, and came a little to herself, but could not speak. I then gave her this Draught: Rp. Aq. Menth. Ruta. Bryon. Co. a. 3vj. Sal. volat. Corn. C. 3f. Sacchar. Albiss. 3ij. f. haust. and five Spoonfulls at pleasure of the following Julep: Rp. Aq. Puleg. Ruta. Menth. a. 3ij. Aq. Bryon. Co. Nephrit. a. 3iS Tinct. Castor. 3ij. Sacchar. Albiss. q. f. f. Julapium. In a few Hours she came to herself: I then asked her, whether she knew how she was taken? She replied, that she had been restless and uneasy till about Four o'Clock in the Morning, when she believed she fell into the Disorder she was found in; but remember'd nothing that had happened besides. She complained of a Dizziness in her Head, with a violent Pain in the Fore-part of it, and Sickness in her Stomach, and was a little feverish. I gave her the following Vomit at Four o'Clock in the Afternoon: Rp. Aq. Cardui bened. bened. 3j. Pulv. Ipecacuanh. 3f. Vitriol. alb. depurat. gr. vj. Oxym. Scillit. 3i f. haust. The Vomit work'd kindly, and she seemed relieved by it: About Six o'Clock in the Evening another Fit returned, much in the same Manner as before; but she soon came out of it, and then took the Draught with the Volatile Salt of Harts-horn, as before; and I applied a large Blister to her Back, and two more to her Arms: About Nine the same Evening she had a strong Convulsion Fit, with Catchings, Grinding of the Teeth, and a great Tremor, neither of which she had had before: she had a Stool the preceding Night, but none that Day. I gave her the Draught as follows, at Night going to rest: R. Tinct. Hier. cum Vino fact 3ij. Aq. Menth. 3vj. Spt. Lavend. Co. 3f f. haust. and she continued taking the Draught, with the Volatile Salt, &c. every four Hours. July the Twelfth, she had been light-headed all Night, with little or no Rest; the Blisters were dressed, which discharged plentifully, and the Tincture had given her three Stools in the Night, which had made her a little faint; her Pulse was low, and her Water pale. I saw her in the Evening, when she had slept pretty well, with which she was refreshed; the Pain in her Head but little, her Stomach easy, and I found her in every respect better. The Draughts were continued every six Hours, and she took of the Julep before mentioned, when faint or ill. July the Thirteenth in the Morning, I found her Head easy, her Water higher coloured; she was allowed Broth, and Food of easy Digestion, which agreed very well with her: She late up in the Afternoon, but was faint, and her Head giddy; but when in Bed, she was better: She had no Stool that Day. I gave her a Draught with the Volatile Salt, &c. at Night going to rest, and the following Purge the next Morning. \[ \text{R} \text{tinct. Hier. cum Vino fact. } \text{sib Syr. è Spinae Cerv. Aq. Puleg. } \text{a. 3vj Spt. Lavend. Co. 3j f. haust. cum regime cap. July the Fourteenth, the Purge worked five times; she eat a light Dinner, and was easy; but upon walking about the Room, her Head was giddy, and she trembled very much, but when in Bed, she was better. I gave her the following Draught at Night going to rest: R} \text{Aq. Rutae Puleg. Bryon. Co. a. 3vj. Spt. Corn. C. opt. gutt. 4o. Tinct. Castror. 3j. Sacchar. Albiss paulum f. haust. July the Fifteenth she complained, when up, of a Numbness in her Legs, and a Pricking in them, like to what happens when the Legs are what we commonly call asleep: Her Appetite was better, and she was in every respect amended. She took the following Medicines: R} \text{Pulv. rad. Valerian Sylv. } \text{3ij. P. Castror. Russ. } \text{3j. Asafoetid. 3j. Tinct. Castror. q.s. f. Massa Pilular. cujus formetur Pilul. No. 4o. of which she took four twice a day with a small Draught of this Julep: R} \text{Aq. Ceras. Nigr. } \text{3vj. Aq. Rutae Paon. Co. a. 3ij. Spt. Lavend. Co. 3vj. Syrup. Caryoph. q.s. f. Julap. of which she took likewise five Spoonfuls at pleasure. The Blisters were kept running as long as we could; and when they were dried up, July the Nineteenth, I gave her the same Purge as before. July the Twenty-second, she had continued very well, without any Return of a Fit; but upon cutting an Issue in her Arm, she fell into a third Fit, in which she she continued near two Hours, but then came to herself, and was well that Evening. July the Twenty-ninth the Purge was repeated. August the Sixth she complained of a Pain in her Head, Sickness in her Stomach, and some Days before, she had a Shew of the Menstrues, and had vomited near a Pint of Blood, and was constive: I then advised her to take two Spoonfuls of Tinctura Sacra, every or every other Night going to Bed, as she found it necessary, and forty of the following Drops: Rx Spt. C. C. opt. 3iij. Tinct. Helleb. Nigr. 3v. to be taken twice a Day in Chamomile-Tea. She took these Medicines about three Weeks, which answered Expectation, and I left her well. I saw her about twelve Months after, and she told me, she had continued very well ever since. "Catalepsis tam rarus affectus est, ut credant inter centum, imò Sexcentos, vix unum Medicum reperiri, qui Catalepticum aliquem videt; ideoque Historiae Catalepticorum, si occurran, diligenter annotandæ. Sennertus, Med. Pratt. lib. i. c. 30. V. Some