2. On the fourth day the condition changed, and it will be advisable to describe her state in the form of abstracts of each day.
On October 24 the patient began to be preoccupied and to answer slowly. A few days later she became distinctly dull, walked about in an indifferent way or lay in bed immobile.
Twice on October 27 she said in a low tone and with slight distress, "Give me one more chance, let me go to him." But she would not answer questions. At times she lapsed into complete immobility, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. When the husband came in the afternoon, she clung to him and said: "Say good-by forever, O my God, save me." Again, very slowly with long pauses and with moaning, she said: "You are going to put me in a big hole where I will stay for the rest of my life." On October 28 she was found with depressed expression and spoke in a rather low tone, but not with decided slowness as had been the case on the day before. She pleaded about having her soul saved; "Don't kill me"; "Make me true to my husband"; once, "I have confessed to the wrong man the shame of my life." Later she said she did not tell the truth about her life before marriage. Again she wanted to be saved from the electric chair. At times she showed a tendency to stare into space and to leave questions unanswered.
3. From now on a more definite stupor occurred, which is also best described in summaries of the individual notes.
Oct. 29. Lies in bed with fixed gaze, pointing upward with her finger and is very resistive towards any interference. She has to be catheterized.
Oct. 30. Can be spoon-fed but is still catheterized. During the morning she knelt by the bed and would not answer. At the visit she was found in a rather natural position, smiling as the physician approached, saying "I don't know how long I have been here." Then she looked out of the window fixedly. At first she did not answer, but, when the physician asked whether she knew his name, she laughed and said, "I know your name—I know my name." Then she would not answer any more questions but remained immobile, with fixed gaze. When her going home was mentioned, however, she flushed and tears ran down her cheek, though no change in the fixedness of her attitude or in her facial expression was seen.
Nov. 1. Lies flat on her back with her hands elevated. She is markedly resistive.
Nov. 2. Free from muscular tension and more responsive. When asked whether she felt like talking, she said in a whining tone, "No, go away—I have to go through enough." Then she
spoke of not knowing how long the nights and days were, of not having known which way she was going. When asked who the physician was she whimpered and said, "You came to tell me what was right." She called him "Christ" and another physician "Jim" (husband's name), though, later in the interview, she gave their correct names. When asked about the name of another physician, she said: "He looks like my cousin, he was here, they all came the first night. I did not take notice who it was till I went through these spirits, then I knew it was right."—She paused and added: "My God—mother it was; she is here on Earth, somewhere in a convent—Sister C. (who actually is in a convent) she was here, too, I could hear her." She said they all came to try to save her. When asked whether she had been asleep, she said: "No, I wasn't asleep, I was mesmerized, but I am awake now—sometimes I thought I was dead." (When?) "The time I was going to Heaven." Again: "I went to Heaven in spirit, I came back again—the wedding ring kept me on Earth—I will have to be crucified now." (Tell me about it.) "Jim will have to pick my eyes out—I think it is him. Oh, it is my little girl." (Who told you?) "The spirits told me." Again: "Little birds my children—I can't see them any more—I must stay here till I die." (Why?) "The spirits told me—till I pick every one of my eyes out and my brains too." When asked what day it was, she said, "It must be Good Friday." (Why?) "Because God told me I must die on the cross as he did." When asked why she had not spoken the day before, she said that "Jesus Christ in Heaven" had told her she should not tell anything, "till all of you had gone, then I could go home with him, because that is the way we came in and it was Jim too all the time." Finally she said crossly, "Go away now, you are all trying to keep me from Jim" (crying).
Nov. 3. Knelt by bed during the night. This morning lies in bed staring, resistive, again she is markedly cataleptic. She has to be spoon-fed, and is totally unresponsive. In the afternoon she was found staring and resistive. Presently she said with tears: "I am waiting to be put on the cross."