Augustine Page #3

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Have you heard

of this Augustine?

Today we discovered

a cut on her back.

Although it is deep,

there was no bleeding.

The other parts of her

body are hypersensitive.

Tweezers.

You may leave.

Raise your arm.

Your hair.

Get dressed.

What is menstruation?

One day you said I had none.

Bleeding that women

have every month.

You use big words

to say simple things.

Why don't I have it?

You will, once you're cured.

- Once I'm cured?

- Yes, once you're cured.

Go on.

In here.

You can thank Mr. Charcot.

Are you okay?

It was as if I were

on a divine mission.

I went to Sacr-Cur,

the basilica at Montmartre.

I walked down the main aisle.

I dropped my coat on the floor.

I stepped onto the altar...

and I shouted we had

to set women free.

I saw the nuns behind me

with their veils.

I felt like telling them

"Stop obeying!"

It always began with a sound.

In fact it was my heartbeat

that I heard in my ear.

It was the...

A noise like this.

I took a piece of glass.

I cut myself...

My whole body

with that piece of glass.

And afterwards...

I felt better.

Calm down now!

Come, fatso.

Can you help?

It's just a hen.

Paralysis on the left now.

Straight down the middle.

Worthy of an Old Master.

The left hand is paralyzed,

claw-like.

Unresponsive to hot or cold.

And the left ear?

Move your hand.

A watch ticking in her

left ear is barely audible.

The right ear hears it

4 inches away.

Vaginal temperature

is unchanging.

Left eye sees only red.

Right eye,

every color but purple.

No sense of smell on the left.

Right, almost normal.

Sugar, salt or pepper:

indiscernible.

Hypnotized,

she becomes totally stiff.

This allows us to keep her

in this state for a while.

We've never tried

more than 4 or 5 minutes.

A 90-pound weight didn't

make her stomach flinch.

Last night she dreamt

of a slaughterhouse.

Animals fell in pools of blood.

She woke up to

her first period.

Personality.

Augustine is active, intelligent,

affectionate, impressionable.

Enjoys seeing men.

Likes being seen,

feeling tended to.

She cares about

her appearance,

rearranges her

full head of hair,

wears it one way,

then another.

Adores colorful ribbons.

Can I have an apple?

Not much love in your books.

What do you know

about love?

Lots of things.

I've gotten letters.

Really.

Are you surprised?

Yes, I am.

Sit still.

I won't be much longer.

For Dr. Bourneville.

Did you find it?

"Augustine,

under Dr. Charcot's gaze,

performed before our eyes

a series of tableaux vivants,

whose style and power belittled

Art's grandest endeavors.

Never before has an

actor or a painter,

not Rachel, not Sarah Bernhard,

attained such authority of expression. "

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