Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-10-06

Rr,.nx.pIr cAsr.-G5iug Without F0aa
The following very remarkable case, copied
from the Albany IN W ErsaiRa Journal rs re-
lated by Mr.. j. s Stoddard, in letter to that pa
per, dated Glens Falls, Sept 90:
4 few days since, in company with geo;
Cronkbitc Superintendent OF the Poor, lElSlS e
{ Mrs HAYS. of Horizon, Warren county, n. IL,
who is known in this region as ''the woman that
lives without eating" -
Asiti is n remarkable case. would like to call
the attention Of the scientific to II. As TO the
fact that she goes without eating, think, after
remaining with her eighteen hours, there IS no
] doubt of It The character of Mrs. Hays, ana a
largo number of other competent witnesses, Is
sach as to make their statement worthy OF con-
/ Enthusiastically as they werc given under
| oath. also think the condition she Is IN pre-
cludes the idea of her eating.
! She appears to be entirely unconscious, and
is in almost continuous Spas.nS of the most nor:
I rid character. They exceed all description, and
I 20 beyond what the most vivid Imasingtlon
/ could coniure, under the head OF tits, spaSms,
contortionS. commissions or tremoTs. She has
lad long continued spells of raising her body
{ up, then throwing herself back so as tn strike
the top Of her head upon the bcd-thuS bring
ing her feet and face go near together rs TO form
a Semicirclc with her body. Sometimes her
head has been drawn back SO that the line OF
her face would be reversed and would rest
upon the pillow. Then she would stiaighten
out again, and thcro would be the most fOrcibe
agitation of her whole frame "a violent quiVer--
a rapid spasmodic action of every nerve and
muscle, with struggling aud gasPinS for breath,
! like n person in the las; agonies of death. This
stranSling and gasping Is IN consequence oil sls:
pended respiration, during the period her head
is so forciblv drawn hack. At one time she re-
minutes wns the longest while l was with her.
I applied looking glass to her rs test, bnt
could soc no evidence of her breathing. she
does not now unusually remain in those ptcu-
liar spasnls longer than from three To i've min.
utes. During space of three weeks they cs-
timated that she went through with these mo
tons at least once minute on an average The
statement they gave me would make much more
than that One day, on which they kept some
count. there were not less than three thousand
five hundred Of these spasms.
The least particle of food taken into the room
will produce violent heaving and retching.
simply handled bread and then went near the
bed, and it produced heaving which was alarm
ing. l spriukcd an irnpalpahlc and almost i'm
pcrccptiblc powder of Sdcchdrnm i@eti8 upon
her tongue and it produced heav!ng which last
ed over one hour.
From the statements and aftidavitS have,
which believe to he essentially correct, this
woman has not eaten aHYlllnSi HiIu "Ot we
taken drop of water, from about the goth OF
last February to September eleventh, the time
saw her She has not eaten more than per:
con would eat at one usual meal, while in HEALTH
since the twenty eighth of June 1885, now
during this period, she has taken little drink
and few tea.spoonsful of berry juice, and the
Juice from apple sauce; but all that you call
nouriSh'nept, would not amount to one ordinary
meal during the whole period. The digestive
action of the bowIcs has also been entirely Sus-
pended, since year ago last June hope
some of orr eminent professors and men of
science, will take the trouble TO visit this mys-
terious case, and give us some philosophical OK.
PLANTATION. have some notes which took of
her case while there, and any physician wish
ing any facts which | have in my possession,
shall be glad to furnish him. Tits case which
! think deserves investigation for the sake of
medical science, and would suggest, that the
physicians in the different cities or medical
colleges, send delegation to investigate it and
report, This should be done Immediately, as
she cannot live always, although she seems to
have the habit of going without eating pretty
thoroughly established, and is practising quite
we'll in going without breathing.