Rendered catatonic by the sleeping-sickness epidemic that swept the world just after the First World War, all twenty had spent forty years in hospital: motionless and speechless; aware of the world around them, but exhibiting no interest in it - until Dr Sacks administered the then-new drug, L-DOPA, which caused them, temporarily, to awake from their decades-long slumber.
| Narrative Type | Non-Fiction |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Original Language | English |
| Intended Audience | Adults |
| Type | Collection |
| Format | Paperback |
| Language | English |
| Author | Oliver Sacks |
| Topic | Books |
| Country Of Origin | United Kingdom |
| ISBN | 9781529063714 |
Rendered catatonic by the sleeping-sickness epidemic that swept the world just after the First World War, all twenty had spent forty years in hospital: motionless and speechless; aware of the world around them, but exhibiting no interest in it – until Dr Sacks administered the then-new drug, L-DOPA, which caused them, temporarily, to awake from their decades-long slumber.