Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1842-12-03
ABSTINENCE

ABSTINENCE s.
Hippocrates asserted that most indivi.
duals who abstain from food for seven
days, die within that period; or, VI they
survive this time, aud arc even then pre-.
vailed upon 10 eat or drink, they still
perish. Various instances Of persons
who have lived much longer without sus-
tcnancc, have been observed. In the re-
cords Of the Tower, we find the history OF
Cicely dc Ridgeway, who was condemn.
ed to the death Tor tile murder Of her
husband, in ,hcTeign Of Edward III. and
Tho rcmnined Tor forty days without
food or drink. This being ascribed to q
miracle, she was OF course pardoned.-
From the result Of this starvation, :he
story may be considered fabulous, for two
reasons: the. first, the lmprobability OF
the alleged ahstinencej and. secondly. the
selection Of forty days, period clcariN,
fixed upon Tor miracle, making. being the
exact NUMBER Of days our Saviour fast
4 ed.
We have a better authenticated case in
the one mentioned by Br. Eccess in the
Edinburg Medical tssayslorsl72O. The
starved person was beautiful young
lady. about sixteen years Of age, who, in
consequences Of the sudden death Of her
father. was thrown into state nf teianuS
Qockjaw) so violent, as to rendar her in
capable Of swallowing for two long and
distinct perio,s-lhe first Of thirty four,
and the second Of fifty four days; during
which she neither experienced q sense of
hunger nor thirst, and when she recover
cd, she was scarcely reduced in size. Sir
William Hamilton saw girl, sixteen
years Of age, who was cxtricated from
The ruins Of house at Oppido, in which
she had remained eleven days: nc infant
in her arms.-but few months old, had
died on the fourth day, as the young are
not so able to endure abstinence. Dr..
William attended young man who had
abstained from any sustenance but little
water favored with orange juice, for six
tn days: death cnsued fortnight after.
FodereG mentions. some work,nen who
were oxlricated alive from cold damp
cavern. in which they had been immured
under ruin Cor fourteen days. Ce,ois. u
physician Of Poitiers, relates still more
singular case Of total abstinence in ~ girl,
who, from the age Of eleven to that Of
fourteen, took no nourishment. -.
Ann Moore, called the fasting woman
Of rubury. was, to a certain extent. an
iunpos,er; Cor, although there was no
truth in-her asst. rtion that she lived IN
incredible time without food, yet it ap-
peared evident that her chief, if not her
only support, was tea. That fluid is
sufficient to MAINTAIN life appears from
two papers inserted in the Philosophical
Transactions; one Of them, giving All nc
count OF four men who we're compelled to
subsisl upon water Tor twenty four days,
and he other of young man who tasted
nothing but the same fluid for eighteen
years. An imposition having been ns-
pected, he was shut up in close confine.
ment fer twenty days as IA trial, when he
uniformly enjoyed good health.
Another wonderful instance Of the
same kind is that Of Janet Mcleod, pub
lished by DR.. M'Kenzie: she was at the
time thirty three years Of age, nnmarri
ed, and from the age Of fifteen had had
various attacks Of epilepsy. which hac
produced 50 rigid I,ckjaw that he'
mouth could rarely be forced pen by
any contrivance; she had lost very near
: ~ the power Of speech and deglutition
and with tins all desire 10 eat OF drink
Her lower lilnbs were retracted towards
her body: she was entirely confined "a
her bed. slept much, and had pcriolical
discharges Of blood from the lungs, which
were chiefly thrown out by the nos,ri.s
During few intervals Of relaxation. she
was prevailed upon, with great difficulty
to put few crumbs Of bread, comn,inu,ed
in the hand, into her mouth, together
with u little water sucked from her own
hand, 0nd, in one or two instances, little
, Cruel; but, even in these attempts, al
most the whole was rejected. On tive
occasions, also, after total abstinence O
. many mouths, she made signs Of wishing
to drink some water, which was imn'edi
a,ely procured Tor her. On the frs, ex
, perimen: the whole seemed to be returned
| from her munth. but she was greatly re
freshed in having it rubbed upon her
, throat On the second occasion she drank
off pint mt once, but could not be pro
: vailed upon to drink any more, although
her father had now fixed wedge between
her teeth. With these exceptions, how
ever. she seemed to have passed upward.
{ Of four years without either liquids OF
solids 0: any kind, or even an appearance
OF swallowing; she lay tor the mos, par
like log Of wood, with n pulse scarcel,
perceptible from feebeness, but distinc
, and regular. Her countenance was clear
and pretty fresh; her features nei,he
d,sfigured nor sunk; her bosom roune
prominent, and 6er limbs no. emacialed
Dr.. Mkenzie watched her with occasion
Al visits Tor eight ornine years, at ,hs
close of which period she seemed to be u
little improved.
A Dutch girl, Of the name Of Eve
Hergen, Is reported to have lived from
, the year 1897 TO 1911, with no othc,
. support than tho scent Of flowers. The
magistrates Of Meurs, susrec,ing imposi
ton, had her closely watched for thirteen
successive days, without being able te
s detect any fraud. Over her pic:ure were
affixed some Latin verses, OF which the
following translation was given in book
called IAN Apologize or Declaration Of the
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