Case XXII. An Account of an extraordinarily sleepy Woman. By Dr Terence Brady, Physician to his Royal Highness Prince Charles of Lorrain.
I was introduced to her room five o’clock. Her arm, stiff and heavy; a good deal of difficulty
to bend it—
it fell like a piece of heavywood. I put my mouth to her ear; called as loud as I could.
She did not wake.
To be sure there was no cheat in the matter I thrust a pin through her skin and flesh
to the bone. I kept the flame
of burning paper to her cheek until I burned the skin.
I put volatile salts in her nose. Lastly I thrust linen dipped in spirits in her nostril          and kindled it.
All was done without the least signs of feeling.

Originally published in White Wall Review 40 (2016)