The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-06-23

For the Register.
Mrs. b. Hays, the woman that lives
without Eating.


Mrs. b. Hays, the woman that lives
without Eating.
Mh, EprroR 1t may be interesting to
yourself and the readers Of your paper, to,
learn some facts concerning Mrs. B. Hays,
now living in the town Of Chester, War
rem Co., N. Y. She is in her twenty
ninth year, and is the wife Of Simeon
Hays She has three children living. 1t
is nearly three years since she was first
taken sick, when she began to have spasms
or 6ts. During the latter part of the
year 1855, she took NO punishment, some
times for Q week or more. She was so
much prostrsted when first taken, that she
has not set up any since. For ABOUT one
year, she took a very little food, but since
the latter part Of June 1856, she has taken
nothing but little water lemon juice and
q little juee Of dried berries But what
n most wonderful of all, and for which
varisus causes are assigned, is that since
the goth Of February 1857, she has not
swallowed a particle of liquid or food of
any kind. She was living yesterday (June
8d) as I was there about an hour. She
Was brought to the village of Chester the
18th day Of Nov. 1867, where she is visit
ed by many from various parts of the u
nited States. Many physicians have seen
this extraordinary case, but none as yet
have given o satisfactory cause for her
living IS she does without food. Most of
the time she lies in fit, they generally
| last about i've minutes. While in these
fts, she does not appear to breathe any
more than she would if dead. AS soon as
she begins to recover from fit, she COM
msnces throwing herself from one side of
| the bed TO the other, shaking her head,
raising herself from one to two feet up in
bed throwing her head backwards, nearly
far enough for her face to lay flat on the
pillow. 1t makes her sick even to have
any one in the room when she is not in
6t, as she invaribly makes the usual mo-
tions for vomiting There is DO perccpti-
bic motion in any part of her body during
her fits, except her left shoulder, which is
in continual motion. She seems to pay no
attention to things passing around her.
She has been without breathing at one
time sixty-fve minutes! Again on Monday
tho 3lst Of May her husband told me she
did not breathe for sixty-fve minutes Two
persons from the village where she now is
were witnesses that she did not breathe for
one hour and they were told by Mr.. Hays
that she had not breathed for five minutes
when they came in. According to the best
information I have. she has said but few
words since she was first taken. Her face
is about as full as persons in health. We
live in an age of wonders. When the
question il asked how does she live with
out eating" the universal answer is | can
not tel. Some say one thing some another
about the cause of her living. The report
has been quite current that she was dead
and snake had been taken from her
stomach. All such reports are without
the least foundation. Much of the infor.
nation have given above is from Mr.
Hays, who is of undoubted integrity and
r veracity. Perhaps it will remain a mys-
terry to the world while time lasts. We
have made no attempt to make up mar
vslous story to awaken astonishment il
the public mind, but to state facts, pas
and present. may add what Mr.. Hays
told the writer, that Mrs Hays has beer
failing for two months past. While her'
} is something We cannot understand the low
that God manifested to lost world is als'
beyond the comprehension OF our 6nit'
minds. l. STACY.
CHnsT1R, June 4, 1858.