Polissena of San Macario was an alleged Italian witch. She suffered from epilepsy and was burned alive at the stake in Lucca. The fact that Polisenna suffered from epilepsy was well known. At one occasion, she had suffered a seizure and fallen backwards upon a bed, where she had been laying like a dead. She had been treated with smelling salt and vinegar, which had been done before to awaken her, and when it had no effect, a bit of fabric had been burnt under her nose. Polissena: ...then opened her eyes and started to make noise by crying very loudly and turned her eyes inside and out, so that all fled from her and left her alone, as she was thought to...
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