Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-07
THE WOMAN WHO LIVES WITHOUT
EATING

We have published several letters respect
ing this extraordinary case Of suffering; thew
are important to scientific men, and painfully
interesting to all. The following is written by
Rev. ,. +. Williams to the Christian Advocate:
Mrs. Hayes is not yet dead. have seen
her several times. And after reading all that
has appeared in the Advocate in regard to her,
venture to communicate q few thoughts upon
her case. Before she passed into this peculiar
and affective condition, her health was for some
length OF time extremely poor. She ate but
little. and that little OccasiOned considerable
amount OF suffering. Sometimes it threw her
into spasms. For nearly q year before she
ceased to take refreshments altogether, she
lived wholly, or nearly so, upon the juice of
dried raspberries, until that became q source
Of suffering Then, for time she took occa-
sionally small quantity of cold water; and it
Is now nearly year since she swallowed any
liquid to the knowledge of any one. Indeed 1
have no doubt that a teaspOonful Of liquid put
into her mouth would be the occasion of her
death, unless the spasnodic action of her throa,
should expel it. Any person to see her ten
minutes must be satisfied there is no deception
in her case. Her head and shoulders, one or
the other. are In perpetual motion. She is fire.
quently thrown forward until she is nearly
doubled together, and then the head thrown
back, and her neck literally doubled, and the
body forced back, and the whole face, chin and
all, entirely buried in the pillow. Tbi. is done
several times succcssiyely in less time than
take in writing it.
The last time III the series the face will re-
main nearly buried in the pillow, and she does
not breathe Tor ten or fifteen minutes. Once she
remained sixty-two minu tes without breat hing:
W hen this Is over and the spasm passes off she
struggles Tor breath, and her head is rolled from
side Ia side almost ith the velocity of lightning
for a moment or two the face becomes red with
the rush of blood TO the head and the skin quite
moist with perspratiOn. Then the spasm SUBJ
sides into gentle motion Of the Jaw and
shoulder, keeping time, as one wO.u think
with action OF the heart. Her skin about the
face, neck, chest and hands is delicate and
healthy as the skin Ot an infant. The pulsa-
tions Of her blood about the chest neck, head
and arms, though exceedingly delicate, are
quite regular Her hair does not grow, nor is
worn off the head, as one would naturally sup
pose, except little just upon the crown The
action Of the liver IL entirely suspended, of
course The action and state Of the lungs are
perfectly healthy. They have been thoroughly
examined by skilful physicians, with The aid Of
u stelhOsc1pe, and are supposed to be perfect
Her nOurishment is wholly from the atmosphere
the last nutriment, indeed the last swallow Of
water she was known to take, was in the last of
June, 1851. The last time she was known to be
conscious was last December. When she co N es
out of these long spasms she seems to cry for a
moment, like infant in distress. At such
times her husband thinks she may be conscious
Ii is most distressing to hear il. She is not
above the ordinary laws Of dis ,ase. She has
recently had thorough case of the mumps,
precisely as others hsye them. Her nails upon
her fingers, like her hair, do not grow at all.