Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-13
woman who Lives without Eating


We have published several notices of Mrs.
,as who resides in one Of the northeast
Ha!t,ia .,ios Of New York, and whose extraordn-
I0'",ff ',,ffarpr has attracted the attention of
81! ,;sc men. The following is written by
sens p Williams to the Christian Adro.
az, ~, HAYES is not yet dead. ! have seen
',rora times And after reading all that
]" ,rrpored in the Advocate in regard to her,
A's s."ra "[P TO communicate few thoughts upon
T..'r .ss.e Before she passed into this peculiar
l affective condition, her health was for
'aa IrocEh of time extremely poor. She ate
". H'"I little and that little occasioned o consd-
~. ua amount of suffering Sometimes it
s.ay,, 5a,n, her into spasms. For nearly year be-
u,s s sbo ceased to take refreshments altogether,
W. W. lived wholly, or nearly so, upon the juice
~ 1irad raspberries, until that became a source
',,aToripc Then for time she took oc-
...onoIy small quantity of cold water and
-. row nearly year since she swallowed
" W. - Iouid, to the knowledge Of any one H.
1-i have no doubt that teaSpoonful of
WA mt into her mouth would be the occa-
.5 ;5a If her death, unless the spasmodic action
u her throat should eXpel it.
ANY nerson to see her ten minutes must ba
.,i,fed that there is no deception in her case
Ir head and shoulders one or other, are in
',,at,al motion. She is frequently thrown
s,.rsorl until she is nearly doubled together,
md then the head thrown back, and neck lit
..sIIr doubled, and the body forced back, and
10 whole face, chin andall, entirely buried in
%s inflow. This done several times success
..iy in less time than | take in writing it
n. last time in the series the face will remain
a.,rly buried in the pillow, and she does not
lathe for ten or fifteen minutes. Once she
.,oqiDed sixty-two minutes without breath
lg -,
n. ,-rnrrles for breath, and her head is roll
4 from side to side almost with the velocity of
-Afninr, for moment or two the face be-
7mas red with the rush Of blood TO the head,
IA the skin quite moist with perSpiration.-
Then the spasm Subdues into q gentle motion
The law ami shoulder, keeping time, as one
vgi think, with the action Of the heart
Hr skin about the face neck and hands is as
f.f,ote and healthy as the skin of an infant.
III me Uii ioGl.VuS VI LCI blOcN ubOUJ lllt CiicSl
neck. head and arms, though exceedingly deli
g.s are quite regular. Her hair does not
ROW nor is it worn off her head as one would
5a.u,aIy suppose, except a little on the crown.
THE action OF the liver is entirely suspended of
g,-se. The action ana state Of the lungs are
v perfectly healthy. They have been thorough
NJ examined by skillful physicians with the aid
II Ii s.cthoscope, and are supposed to be per
v -.. The last nutriment, indeed the last swal-
A g Of water she was known to take, was the
aH of June, 1851 The last time she was
" known to be conscious was last December q
NJ When she comes out of these long spasms she
seems to cry for moment like an infant in
i,Tes. At such times her husband thinks
.le nav be conscious 1t is most distressing
NJ 10 hear it. She is not above tue ordinary laws
X Il d.sease She has recently had thorough
a,s Of the mumps, precisely as Others have
N ;ym Her nails upon her fingers, like her
n -a.! do Tot grow at ALL