The patient was a single woman, aged 45 years, domestic, born in Ireland. Family and personal histories were negative as to nervous and mental disorders. She was found on the morning of Nov. 3, 1909, in a state of coma caused by the escape of illuminating gas from a broken fixture in a room. She did not regain consciousness for four days, during which time constitutional symptoms were noted. The patient recovered from the acute effects of the poison and was discharged from the hospital ton days later as recovered. Several days afterward she returned to work. Three weeks later the patient developed a psychosis and was admitted to the Government Hospital for the Insane, Dec. 10, 1909.
She was semistuporous; she gave her name but other questions were incorrectly answered. She showed falsifications of memory, related confabulatory experiences, was lacking in power of attention and concentration, could not carry